Still good,
or expired?
Is your sunscreen or serum still good? Enter its dates and see the day to toss it.
- 1Your product
- 2Toss date
- 3Toss list
Can you use expired sunscreen?
No. The FDA says to throw out sunscreen past its expiration date, and to treat a bottle with no date as expired three years after purchase. Check yours, or any other product, here.
- 3 yearssunscreen with no date
- 12M12 months once opened
- 2–4 monthsmascara
What the rules say
Expired sunscreen: toss it
Every nonprescription drug, sunscreen included, must carry an expiration date unless tests show it stays stable for at least three years. So the FDA’s rule is simple: past its date, throw it out. No date and bought more than three years ago, throw it out. Don’t know how old it is, throw it out. If yours has no date, write the purchase date on the bottle.
Cosmetics: no date required
No US law requires a shelf life or an expiration date on cosmetics: keeping them safe is the maker’s job. Sunscreens and acne treatments are different: they are drugs, and makeup or moisturizer with SPF can be both. Drugs must be stability tested and carry an expiration date.
What 12M on the jar means
Under EU rules, a product that keeps for 30 months or less shows a date, after an hourglass symbol or the words “best used before the end of”. One that keeps longer shows an open jar with a number of months instead: how long it is safe to use once opened. 12M means 12 months after you first open it.
Vitamin C: from clear to brown
In a serum, vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) is almost colorless. Light and air oxidize it into dehydroascorbic acid, which is yellow, and that breaks down further; in foods and juices, this breakdown is what browns them. The cut-offs we use, yellow means use it soon and orange or brown means replace it, are expert consensus: no study sets them.
Retinol: light is the enemy
Researchers stored 12 retinoid cosmetics for 6 months. At room temperature (25 °C), their retinoids dropped by 0% to 80%; at 40 °C, by 40% to 100%. Light broke them down more than heat, and the losses depended on the formula. Keep it closed and out of the light.
Acne treatments: the date matters
Benzoyl peroxide and other over-the-counter acne treatments are drugs, so they carry an expiration date. The FDA recommends throwing away acne products beyond it: expired medicines can be weaker or riskier because their chemistry changes, and some can grow bacteria.
FDA: cosmetics shelf lifeFDA: acne productsFDA: expired medicines
Mascara: 2 to 4 months
Eye-area products have shorter shelf lives, and a mascara wand meets bacteria and fungi every time you use it. Manufacturers usually say to throw mascara away two to four months after purchase. Dried out? Throw it away; never add water or saliva. Don’t share it. With an eye infection, see a health care provider, stop all eye makeup and throw away what you were using.
Heat, fingers and moisture
Heat makes preservatives break down and lets bacteria and fungi grow faster: don’t leave products in a hot car. Fingers dipped in a jar add microbes, a humid bathroom helps them grow, and sunlight and air change color and texture. At the beach, keep sunscreen in the shade or wrapped in a towel.
How long does skincare last?
Every row comes from a source below. Where a source gives no number, we give none.
| Product | What sets the date | Date required in the US? | Toss it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| SunscreenFDA: sunscreenAAD: sunscreen FAQs | Printed expiration date. None: three years after purchase | Yes, unless stable for 3+ years | Past the date, age unknown, or an obvious change in color or consistency |
| SPF moisturizer or makeupFDA: cosmetics shelf life | Printed expiration date | Yes: drug and cosmetic | Past the date, or a change in color, texture or smell |
| Benzoyl peroxide, acne treatmentsFDA: cosmetics shelf lifeFDA: acne products | Printed expiration date | Yes: drug | Past the date |
| Vitamin C serumFDA: cosmetics shelf lifeEU rule 1223/2009Telang 2013 | Open-jar symbol or printed date | No | Past the date, or turned dark orange or brown (expert consensus) |
| RetinolFDA: cosmetics shelf lifeEU rule 1223/2009Temova Rakuša 2021 | Open-jar symbol or printed date | No | Past the date, or a change in color, texture or smell |
| Moisturizer, cleanser, tonerFDA: cosmetics shelf lifeEU rule 1223/2009 | Open-jar symbol or printed date | No | Past the date, separated, or a new color or smell |
| MascaraFDA: cosmetics shelf life | Two to four months after purchase | No | After 4 months, dried out, or after an eye infection |
Make your products count
One face scan. Your whole routine, sorted.
This page answered your question. MySkincare starts from your own skin, and the products you already use.
- 1Scan your face3 photos: front, left profile, right profile.
- 2See your skin scoreFree6 zones scored separately: forehead, eye area, T-zone, both cheeks, chin.
- 3Scan your productsIt reads each ingredient list and says: keep it, watch it or replace it.
- 4Follow your routineMorning and night, checked so your products work together. With reminders.
Questions people ask
Can you use expired sunscreen?
No. The FDA says not to use sunscreen past its expiration date, and to throw it out because it may not be safe and effective anymore. A sunscreen with no date counts as expired three years after purchase; if you don’t know how old it is, discard it.
How long does sunscreen last?
Unopened or opened, the printed expiration date is the limit. The FDA requires sunscreens to stay at full strength for at least three years, so one with no date is good for three years from purchase. Used generously, it goes faster: about 1 ounce per application means a 4-ounce bottle covers you roughly four times (Mayo Clinic).
Is it OK to use expired sunscreen if it looks fine?
No. The FDA’s advice doesn’t depend on looks: discard sunscreen past its date, because it may not be safe and effective anymore. The reverse is true too: if a sunscreen’s color or consistency has changed obviously, replace it even before its date (AAD).
Does skincare expire?
Yes. Over time, preservatives break down, creams separate, and heat, light and air change color, texture and smell (FDA). Cosmetics don’t need a printed date in the US; drugs like sunscreen and acne treatments do.
What does 12M mean on skincare?
It’s the open-jar symbol, or period-after-opening symbol, from EU rules: the number of months the product is safe to use once opened. 12M means 12 months after you first open it. Write the opening date on the pack so you can count.
How do you tell if vitamin C serum has gone bad?
Look at its color. Vitamin C is almost colorless in a serum; as it oxidizes it turns yellow (Telang 2013), and further breakdown browns it. Our rule, which is expert consensus: yellow, use it up soon; dark orange or brown, replace it. Some serums are tinted or use other forms of vitamin C, so compare with its color when new.
Can you use expired benzoyl peroxide?
It’s better not to. Benzoyl peroxide products are drugs, and the FDA recommends throwing away acne products beyond their expiration date. Expired medicines can be less effective or risky because their chemistry changes.
How do you know when retinol goes bad?
Check its date or open-jar symbol first. Then look for a change in color, texture or smell, which the FDA lists as signs of breakdown. Retinoids are sensitive to light: in a 6-month study of 12 products, light broke them down more than heat.
Does unopened skincare expire?
Yes. The printed date counts whether or not it’s open. Under EU rules, a product that keeps for 30 months or less must show a “best used before the end of” date; one that keeps longer shows the open-jar symbol instead.
Is it dangerous to use expired skincare?
It can be. When preservatives break down, bacteria and fungi can grow, and eye products can cause eye infections (FDA). Expired drugs, like sunscreen, may not protect as they should. If a product stings, burns or makes your skin react, stop using it and ask a dermatologist.
Sources
- Educational, not medical advice. The example result is computed for Nov 8, 2026; the tool uses your device’s date
US Food and Drug Administrationfda.gov
- Sunscreen, how to help protect your skin from the sun (content current as of October 16, 2026)
Nonprescription drugs must have an expiration date unless stability testing shows the product stays stable for at least three years, so a sunscreen without an expiration date should be considered expired three years after purchase. Don’t use sunscreen past its expiration date, or without a date and bought more than three years ago; discard expired sunscreen, which may not be safe and effective; if you don’t know how old it is, discard it. Don’t expose containers to direct sun; wrap them in towels or keep them in the shade; labels must say to protect the product from excessive heat and direct sun.
- Shelf life and expiration dating of cosmetics (content current as of February 25, 2022)
No US law requires cosmetics to have shelf lives or expiration dates. Sunscreens and acne treatments are drugs, SPF makeup and moisturizers can be both, and drugs must be stability tested and carry expiration dates. Fingers add bacteria and fungi; preservatives break down; emulsions separate; bathroom moisture helps microbes grow; temperature, sunlight and air change color, texture and smell; heat (a hot car) breaks preservatives down. Eye-area products have shorter shelf lives; manufacturers usually recommend discarding mascara two to four months after purchase; dried mascara goes in the trash, never add water or saliva; with an eye infection, see a provider, stop eye-area cosmetics and discard those in use; don’t share makeup.
- Don’t be tempted to use expired medicines (content current as of October 31, 2024)
Expired medical products can be less effective or risky due to a change in chemical composition or a decrease in strength; some are at risk of bacterial growth; after the date there is no guarantee the medicine is safe and effective; a damp bathroom cabinet can decrease effectiveness.
- Limited number of voluntary recalls initiated after FDA testing of acne products for benzene (March 11, 2025)
The FDA recommends consumers check their acne products and throw away products beyond their expiration date.
American Academy of Dermatologyaad.org
- Sunscreen FAQs (updated February 11, 2025)
The FDA requires sunscreens to keep their original strength for at least three years. If the expiration date has passed, throw it out; with no date, write the purchase date on the bottle. Obvious changes in color or consistency mean it’s time for a new bottle. Direct sunlight and hot places such as a car speed up the breakdown of sunscreen ingredients. Cosmetics with SPF need reapplying.
Mayo Clinicmayoclinic.org
- Does sunscreen expire? (January 9, 2024)
Sunscreen must keep its original strength for at least three years, so leftover sunscreen can be used from one year to the next; throw it out past its expiration date; with no date, write the purchase date on it and throw it out after three years; keep it out of hot weather and direct sun; throw it out if its color or texture changes significantly; about 1 ounce per application, so a 4-ounce bottle is about four applications.
Cleveland Clinicclevelandclinic.org
- What can vitamin C do for your skin? (December 12, 2022; Melissa Piliang, MD)
Vitamin C is sensitive to sun, heat and light: choose a product protected in dark or tinted glass.
Studies and other sources
- Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products, Article 19(1)(c) and Annex VII (EUR-Lex)eur-lex.europa.eu
The date of minimum durability is preceded by its symbol (Annex VII, point 3) or the words “best used before the end of”, as month and year or day, month and year. It isn’t mandatory for products lasting more than 30 months; those show the period after opening for which the product is safe, with the period-after-opening symbol (Annex VII, point 2) followed by the period in months and/or years.
- Telang PS. Vitamin C in dermatology. Indian Dermatol Online J. 2013;4(2):143–146 (PMC3673383, full text via Europe PMC)pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
L-ascorbic acid is unstable, especially in light; on exposure to light it oxidizes to dehydroascorbic acid, which imparts a yellow color; stability depends on a pH below 3.5; the serum holds vitamin C in an almost colorless form; oxidative changes cause yellow skin discoloration and stained clothes.
- Yin X, Chen K, Cheng H, et al. Chemical stability of ascorbic acid integrated into commercial products: a review on bioactivity and delivery technology. Antioxidants. 2022;11(1):153 (PMC8773188, full text via Europe PMC)pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Ascorbic acid degrades with light, heat, oxygen, transition metal ions and alkaline pH, and is unstable in water. It is oxidized to dehydroascorbic acid, which breaks down irreversibly to 2,3-diketogulonic acid; its degradation causes color changes and browning (studied mainly in foods and juices).
- Temova Rakuša Ž, Škufca P, Kristl A, Roškar R. Retinoid stability and degradation kinetics in commercial cosmetic products. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2021;20(7):2350–2358 (abstract only)doi.org
16 retinoids in 12 commercial cosmetics over 6 months: 0%–80% decline at 25 °C and 40%–100% at 40 °C; light degradation was more pronounced than heat; instability depended on the formula, and some products held less than declared.