Best before date for lavera Natural Beauty
What does the best before date mean in cosmetics?
Are there legal regulations in this industry?
Why can cosmetic products expire?
How is the shelf life of lavera products ensured?
Frequently asked questions about minimum shelf life
How to keep your lavera products lasting as long as possible
Tips for optimal storage of your Natural Beauty products
The best-before date (abbreviated MHD) is familiar to us from everyday life, for example when grocery shopping. This date indicates until when a product can be safely used if stored properly and retains its promised effectiveness.
What does the best-before date mean in cosmetics?
It indicates how long a product is at least durable when stored properly and remains unopened. It represents a quality promise that ensures the declared effectiveness and safety of the product are guaranteed until this date. This also means: the best-before date is not a consumption or expiration date – it only indicates until when the promised effectiveness and safety of a product are guaranteed with proper storage. For your cosmetic products, the best-before date means that you can use them without concern until this date.
Are there legal requirements in this industry?
In the EU Cosmetics Regulation (CosmeticsVO), there are two prescribed options for labeling the shelf life of cosmetic products – at lavera Natural Beauty, we use both:
Shelf life of less than 30 months = indication of the minimum shelf life date (best before date)
If cosmetics contain very sensitive formulations that would not remain intact for 30 months, a best-before date must be indicated on the product or packaging throughout the entire European Union. At lavera, we use the symbol of an hourglass in close proximity to the date. This date indicates until when the product, if stored properly and unopened, retains its original function and can be used safely.
Shelf life of more than 30 months = indication of the Period After Opening (PAO)
If cosmetic products have a shelf life of more than 30 months, the so-called period after opening must be indicated on them. This is the time span during which a product can be used without concern after opening. On the corresponding packaging, it is marked by the symbol of an open cream jar with a number and the letter M (e.g., 8M for 8 months). For a cream with the indication 12M, this would mean that you can use your cream for 12 months from the first opening. For this period after opening, the manufacturer guarantees an intact product—provided you store the product properly, i.e., always close it carefully after use.
Why can cosmetic products expire?
Cosmetic products often contain water, providing a perfect breeding ground for bacteria and germs. And as soon as a product has been opened and is used regularly, germs, bacteria, mold, yeasts, and other microorganisms from the environment can come into contact with the contents and cause contamination – this can lead to the spoilage of your cosmetic product. Such contamination increases the risk that the product may cause skin irritation or infections.
Cosmetic products can also expire because their natural ingredients and active substances break down over time, causing both their effectiveness and their scent to diminish. But extreme temperatures or temperature fluctuations as well as UV radiation can also negatively affect shelf life.
You should also know that lavera Natural Beauty refrains from using preservatives (according to the Cosmetics Regulation). This means that we avoid substances classified as preservatives in the Cosmetics Regulation (e.g., parabens). Instead, we use alternative methods of preservation.
How is the shelf life of lavera products ensured?
As described above, at lavera Natural Beauty we avoid preservatives according to the Cosmetics Regulation. This means that we do without substances classified as preservatives in the Cosmetics Regulation, such as parabens. Instead, we use alternative methods to preserve our products.
The first step in preserving our lavera products is clean production in a clean environment with clean ingredients. The latter is sometimes not so easy with natural ingredients because we want to treat them as gently as possible. Therefore, we use natural preservatives such as organic alcohol in a balanced concentration, so that it supports shelf life without impairing the care effect of our products or drying out the skin.
Natural essential oils in our products also contribute to their shelf life, as they contain little to no water. And without water, microorganisms such as bacteria have no chance to grow at all.
The chosen packaging can also be an important factor in a product’s shelf life: for example, a small bottle opening reduces contact with airborne microorganisms just like a tube with its opening facing downward.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Minimum Shelf Life
Where is the expiration date on cosmetics?
For lavera products, you can find the best before date (if available) on the packaging, often near the EAN code or on the bottom of the products. A small hourglass symbol on your cosmetics indicates the exact spot where the best before date is embossed or printed in the month/year format. For lavera products, the best before date can be found in the following places:
- Tubes: At the upper edge of the tube (tube seam)
- Jars: On the edge of the label or under the jar
- Pump dispensers: Under the product or on the seal label
- Spray bottles: On the back edge of the label
- Deo rollers: On the back of the label
- Sachets (masks and samples): On the back, at the bottom or side edge of the sachet
- Folding cartons:Bottom side
Where is the expiration date on sunscreen?
On our sunscreen in the practical pump dispenser, you will find the expiration date on the back on the seal label.
How long are lavera products shelf-stable from the date of production?
The exact date or duration of shelf life from the production date varies depending on the product and its ingredients.
How long is a product shelf-stable when unopened and after opening?
Unopened lavera products are shelf-stable until their best-before date when stored properly. After opening the product, you should use it within a reasonable time frame and store it properly (more on this in this section). It is advisable to watch for changes in color, smell, or texture that might indicate the product is no longer good.
Products with a PAO symbol (period after opening) are stable for at least 30 months and safe to use for the indicated time after opening (e.g., 8 months if marked 8M). After the best-before date or the usage period indicated by the PAO symbol has passed, the functionality and safety of the product can no longer be guaranteed.
Can products with expired best-before dates still be used?
We generally recommend that you do not use expired products.
How long can I still use an unopened but expired lavera product?
You should generally not use expired products anymore. Unopened products are durable until the best-before date if stored properly. After that, functionality and safety can no longer be guaranteed.
Does the best-before date also apply if the product has already been opened?
No, because the best-before date refers to the point in time until which the product is at least durable if stored properly and unopened. Unfortunately, this cannot be guaranteed in every case due to many different factors. Proper storage at moderate temperatures with the lid closed, the environment, the duration of use, hygiene during use, and the frequency of opening the product all affect the product's shelf life.
Why doesn't lavera have the jar symbol PAO (period after opening) on all products?
We use the PAO symbol in accordance with the Cosmetics Regulation only for products that have a shelf life of more than 30 months. For example, our decorative cosmetics (make-up, mascara, and others) do not have an expiration date but instead have a PAO symbol – this means that these products are unopened and stable for at least 30 months and can be safely used for the time indicated on the symbol after opening.
Editor's note: It does not have to be a disadvantage if a product possibly has a shorter expiration date. It means that the product is preserved only as much as absolutely necessary.
How to keep your lavera products fresh for as long as possible
First of all: How can I tell if my Natural Beauty product has gone bad? This is not always easy, but there are a few clear signs that your product has deteriorated, for example:
Your products have changed in consistency (for example, your eye cream has become lumpy, your shower gel is separating, water or oil has settled on the surface)
The products smell different than usual, for example musty, sharp, or rancid
Your cosmetics are no longer visually perfect, looking different than usual (e.g., a cream separates into solid and liquid parts or its color has changed since opening)
If skin irritation or allergic reactions occur after using your cosmetics, this can also be an indication that the products are no longer good to use
Tip for the optimal storage of your Natural Beauty products
Store your lavera products preferably in a cool, dry, and dark place and avoid exposing them to direct sunlight. Heat exposure can affect the stability of the formula and thus the effectiveness of the cosmetics. This is just one example, so you should keep a few points in mind when storing your sunscreen:
To extend the shelf life of your already opened sunscreen, store it in a box in the basement or in the refrigerator when not in use until you need it again.
We recommend not simply storing opened sunscreen in the bathroom cabinet. The reason: Showering and bathing increase the humidity in your bathroom. The warm, moist environment can cause your sunscreen to lose its effectiveness faster and may even lead to mold growth.
Importance of hygiene and proper use
To enjoy your lavera products for as long as possible, you should keep a few things in mind when using them:
Only open the product when you are really ready to use it.
Hygiene is essential: Wash your hands thoroughly before each use and, if possible, take the product out with a clean spatula or brush instead of your fingers.
Clean the tools you use to take your cosmetics regularly.
If you have bought several of your favorite products in stock, then store them in your cabinet sorted by their expiration date – this way, you always reach for the product that will expire next (however, for environmental and cost reasons, you should always only buy as many products as you can actually use).
Always close your cosmetics well after use to keep as much air and thus microorganisms like bacteria from the environment out.
Conclusion
You can see that the expiration date (best before date, BBD) plays an important role in cosmetics. Just like food, cosmetics can also expire, for example, because their natural ingredients and active substances break down over time, which among other things reduces their effectiveness. Incorrect storage (such as extreme temperatures, UV radiation) can also negatively affect their shelf life. Cosmetics can become contaminated through contact with airborne microorganisms like bacteria, which can also lead to spoilage. To effectively extend the shelf life of your cosmetics, it’s worth following our practical tips on proper storage, use, and hygiene.
The BBD on your cosmetic product indicates until when you can safely use it unopened and stored correctly, and when it retains its promised effectiveness. We determine the BBD after extensive testing to check microbiological, chemical, and physical stability. In cosmetics, a distinction is made between products with a BBD (less than 30 months shelf life) and those with a Period After Opening (PAO) indication (more than 30 months shelf life). At lavera, we rely on natural preservation methods such as organic alcohol or essential oils.