You may have noticed a little graphic on the back of a lot of beauty products - it's a small pot with a number inside it. This little pot and its associated number are there for a very good reason - they're telling you what the shelf-life of the product is once you've opened it. Depending on the type of product, the number will differ.
Mascara generally has a 6 month label but skincare products can vary widely and this is because products with an active ingredient in them will naturally go off before products that don't contain these ingredients. Try not to use them after the date is up - they won't be doing anything beneficial at that stage!
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Shampoos and conditioners can have labels for up to 36 months, depending again on what they contain. You won't see this little label on products you may have bought online from the States as it's an EU initiative, so exercising a bit of common sense with these would be the way to go.
