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U. S. Food and Drug Administration
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
Office of Cosmetics Fact Sheet
February 3, 1995
SHELF LIFE - EXPIRATION DATE
Cosmetic products are generally formulated and tested for a shelf
life of 1-3 years under normal storage conditions, depending on a
product's composition, packaging, preservation, and other factors.
There are no regulations or requirements under current law that
require cosmetic manufacturers to print expiration dates on the
labels of cosmetic products. Consumers should be aware that
expiration dates are simply "rules of thumb," and that a product's
safety may expire long before the expiration date if the product
has not been properly stored. Cosmetics that have been improperly
stored, for example exposed to high temperatures or sunlight or
opened and examined by consumers prior to final sale, may
deteriorate substantially before the expiration date. On the other
hand, products stored under ideal conditions may be acceptable long
after the expiration date has been reached.
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