Have You Ever Checked the Batch Codes/dates on Cosmetics?
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I recently checked the sun creams I bought on Amazon (sold by Amazon) and found they were manufactured five years ago. Batch‑code lookup sites like checkfresh.com or checkexp.com can estimate production dates, though their accuracy depends on how well they interpret each brand’s coding system. Still, it’s concerning, especially since the packaging includes both a batch code and a Period After Opening (PAO) symbol indicating how long the product remains stable once opened.
Batch codes reveal the manufacturing date, which matters because most sun creams have a typical shelf life of about three years when unopened. After that, UV filters—particularly chemical filters—can degrade, reducing protection and altering product stability. In this case, the batch code shows the sun creams are well past the usual three‑year window.
In this instance, the batch code indicates that the sun creams were produced five years ago, meaning they are well beyond the typical stability window. Even if the PAO symbol suggests a usable period after opening, the underlying issue is that the product may already have undergone significant degradation before use.
I've never thought to do so and I just bought some sun cream from amazon, so I best have a look to see how old it is. I do wonder some times about some of things Amazon sells and whether it is legit even. Just checked it was made 6 months, 23 days ago, so it's okay. thanks for letting us know about this site.
Sherrifffroggy I checked most of the products I ordered recently, and the only issue I found was with the Piz Buin sun creams. It still surprises me that many cosmetics don’t list expiration dates and only show the PAO symbol, so I’ll definitely be checking everything from now on. I also wonder how Amazon manages to sell some of these products so cheaply, and whether they store them properly. I once received flat Pepsi‑Cola from them, but aside from that I haven’t had any major problems.
By the way, there’s also another site — https://cosmeticcalculator.com/ — although not every brand is included there.
SebK84 Mine is Nivea Sun factor 50plus in spray bottle. I will in future always check. I seldom buy any food and drink from amazon.
I have wondered about this too it’s annoying sigh that they can be long expired...I always look at the months after opening and not the actual batch codes. Just have to remember to check more throughly or just stick with how many months to use lol
I’ve never checked dates on cosmetics mainly because I’d have to find my reading glasses because I can never see the small print.
I always check the sell by dates and batch codes on everything I buy as I have been caught out a few times in the past. Five years does seem a long time for a product to be manufactured and then sold. I would not personally buy it as I would concerned with the content. I know once opened some cosmetics have six months to a year to use. I bet many people have old make-up that has been open longer than that.
Yes of course,there's always a tiny photo of a tin with the lid half off telling you in months how long items last ,saying that there were some bottles that I haven't used for ages so I have thrown them out..
Please be extra careful because some are flammable
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