General · Beauty
Makeup & skincare expiry date.
Enter when you opened it and the PAO months from the open-jar symbol. Get the date to discard it by, and add it to your calendar.
Inputs
Discard by
Enter a PAO or a printed date, plus the date you opened it.
How this is calculated
Not medical advice; discard earlier if smell, texture or colour changes or after an eye infection. The calculator takes the earliest of the dates that apply. (1) PAO: the open-jar symbol with a number of months, counted from the day you open the product (month-end dates clamp, so 31 August + 6 months is 28 or 29 February). Under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Art. 19(1)(c) (checked 2026-10-02), products with a minimum durability of 30 months or less carry a date, and products lasting longer than 30 months carry the PAO symbol instead. (2) Printed date: the expiry or best-before date, which applies to the unopened product stored properly. (3) Mascara with no PAO: the FDA Eye Cosmetic Safety page says manufacturers usually recommend discarding mascara two to four months after purchase (checked 2026-10-02); the tool shows that range and uses its earlier end. A PAO on the label always overrides this default.
Sunscreen sold in the US as an over-the-counter drug is supposed to carry an expiration date under 21 CFR 211.137; paragraph (h) leaves enforcement off for OTC products with no dosage limitations that are stable for at least 3 years, so a sunscreen may lack a date. This tool does not guess one: enter the printed date. No other product-type defaults are used. No regulator publishes months for lipstick, foundation or serums, so the tool will not invent them; use the PAO on your pack. Health Canada’s Cosmetic Regulations (C.R.C., c. 869) do not set a shelf life either, so follow the label. The result is a planning date, not a safety guarantee: heat, sunlight, dipping fingers and sharing all shorten real life. Nothing you enter leaves your browser and nothing is stored; the calendar file is built on your device.
Frequently asked questions
What does the open jar symbol with a number on my makeup mean?
It is the period after opening (PAO). The number and M (for example 12M) is how many months the product is meant to stay safe to use once you open it. Under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 Art. 19(1)(c) it replaces a printed date on products whose minimum durability is more than 30 months.
Does the PAO or the printed expiry date win?
Whichever comes first. The printed date covers an unopened product stored properly; the PAO starts when you open it. This calculator takes the earlier of the two and tells you which one set the date.
How often should I replace mascara?
The FDA says manufacturers usually recommend discarding mascara two to four months after purchase. If your mascara shows a PAO, the label overrides that range. Never add water or saliva to a dried-up tube.
Does sunscreen expire?
Yes. Sunscreen sold in the US as an over-the-counter drug is supposed to carry an expiration date (21 CFR 211.137), so use the printed date and do not stretch it. If the tube has a PAO symbol as well, the earlier date applies.
Why are there no default dates for lipstick or foundation?
Because no regulator publishes them. The only sourced defaults are the label PAO, the printed date and the FDA mascara range, so those are the only ones used. Enter the PAO from your pack and the tool does the date maths.
When should I throw a product out early?
Straight away if the smell, texture or colour changes, if it separates or dries out, or after an eye infection (replace eye products and anything that touched the eye). This is not medical advice.