Hey gorgeous! If you are a human being walking on this earth, chances are you probably have a bottle of hairspray or gel that has been sitting in your bathroom since your last school formal eeek. So, when is it no longer okay to use these ancient relics?
Unfortunately, hair products can’t last forever. Even the fanciest, most expensive products will eventually start to lose their effectiveness and can even become dangerous if used past their prime.
Most shampoo and conditioner bottles will have a little symbol on them that looks like an open jar with a number in it – that’s the number of months the product will stay fresh once opened. So, if your bottle has a little “12M” on it, you can expect it to be good for about twelve months from the day you first crack the lid open.
But what about other hair products, like mousse, gel, and hairspray? The good news is that these products generally have a longer shelf life than shampoo and conditioner. Many of them can last up to two years if they’re unopened! However, once you break that seal, the clock starts ticking. Check the label for the little open jar symbol again, and you’ll see how long you can expect your product to stay fresh.
Now, we know what you’re thinking – “but I’ve had this can of hairspray in my bathroom for ten years and it still works just fine!” We’re not saying your hairspray isn’t still doing its job, but we are saying that using expired hair products can be risky business. As hair products age, they can become less effective and less safe. Chemicals can break down and become unstable, and bacteria can start to grow. Nobody wants to put gross, funky hair products on their head, so do yourself a favour and check those expiration dates!
So go forth and style, my friends – just make sure those products are fresh as a daisy!
