Mary Kay Product Expiration and Shelf Life : A simple guide

updated: April 2022

Mary Kay stands behind its products sold to you by us, Mary Kay Beauty Consultants. The company never compromises when it comes to the quality and safety of the products. Decisions are made based on scientific facts and not myths nor opinions.

As the company’s Director for Human Product Safety and Environmental Toxicology Dr. Cristi Gomez, said: “Mary Kay’s commitment to safety and quality is unwavering. We will not use any ingredient or sell any product until our high safety standards have been achieved.”

“Mary Kay’s commitment to safety and quality is unwavering. We will not use any ingredient or sell any product until our high safety standards have been achieved.”

Product Quality, Safety and Performance

Mary Kay products are of high quality and are tested for safety and efficacy. However, like all cosmetics, Mary Kay products aren’t ageless, they have their expiry dates and shelf lives that us Beauty Consultants and you – our happy users should be aware of.

For people who are new to cosmetics, getting the hang of these terms can be a little tricky! But stay with me so next time, it becomes effortless to understand. Here’s an easy guide to help you through it:

Product Shelf Life

First of all, what’s a product shelf life? Most products have shelf lives, and one example of that is food. To be simple, the product shelf life stated on the product indicates how long you can use it before it expires. It’s essential to use a Mary Kay product before it expires to take advantage of its potency, efficacy, and performance. This is especially true when the product is opened as bacteria and fungi might have found its way inside the product package. For example – the creams that are in a jar. These consequences lead to adverse effects on the user, such as rashes, acne, and at worst – infections. Disclosing and Understanding the product shelf life is therefore crucial.

How to read Product Shelf Life on Mary Kay Products

The manufacturing date of the products is labeled clearly on the packaging to ensure the safety of the customers. Before getting into the expiry date, first of all, we need to know how to read the easy-to-understand manufacturing code. Here are the few easy steps required for decoding:

1. Find the code. The code is a mixture of letters and digits that combine   into an alphanumeric code.
   Example: 9F13, 8B09,9C04

    

2. Decode the first number/letter. This code will correspond to the year of manufacturing date:
3. Decode the second letter. This code will correspond to the month of manufacturing date.
4. Decode the third and fourth numbers. This code will correspond to the day of the manufacturing date.

● 01, 02, 03… up to  31…

 

Most Mary Kay Products are manufactured to have a minimum shelf life of three years from the date of manufacture.

What is the expiry date?

By Wikipedia definition, Expiry date is a previously determined date after which something should no longer be used, either by operation of law or by exceeding the anticipated shelf life for perishable goods.

 

The expiry date of Mary Kay products will depend on its classification. Mary Kay products are segregated into two where expiration dates are concerned.

● SPF products: SPF products are those which protect the user against the rays of the sun. The ingredients in these make them more perishable than other cosmetics.

Expiry date = Manufacturing date + 2 years

 

● Non-SPF products:

Expiry date = Manufacturing date + 3 years

 

With SPF, add 2 years to the manufacturing date.

Without SPF, add 3 years to the manufacturing date.

Now, let’s cite 2 Examples:

1. Code : 9F13 for Liquid Foundation ( Non-SPF)

9  =  2019
F  =  June
13 =  13th of the month

Thus, it is manufactured on June 13, 2019. Since it has no SPF, then add 3 years. Product Expiration will be June 13, 2022.

2. Code: 9C04 for CC Cream with SPF 15

9  =  2019
C  =  March
04 = 4th of the Month

Thus, the manufacturing date is March 4, 2019. Since CC Cream has SPF 15, then add 3 years for its expiration. So, the expiration date will be on March 4, 2021.

Mary Kay expiry date policy

All products will have a manufacturing code or expiration date in the packaging as a requirement by a regulatory agency.

For the utmost safety of buyers and customers, Mary Kay has specific rules and regulations set in place regarding the expiry date of products. Mary Kay Philippines makes sure that their cosmetics are sold before reaching six months before expiry – those who exceed this threshold will be pulled out of stock. This means that anyone who buys authorized Mary Kay products will have fresh and ready-to-use products so long as they are stored according to Mary Kay’s regulatory practices, such as avoidance from extreme temperatures.

Product Storage

Avoid storing them in the car when your car is parked under the sun to avoid change in either appearance, texture, or color. Based on my personal experience, a lipstick may melt when kept in the car under the heat of the sun especially in the summer months in the Philippines.

Do not refrigerate products that have been exposed to high heat or have been frozen to avoid inconsistency. Although cod moisturizers are pleasant to the skin when kept cold.

Finally, I am proud to tell you that products purchased from an authorized beauty consultant are ideally safe and fresh from our warehouse as our return policy is covered only for a month. Avoid buying from unauthorized online sellers to ensure product storage safety.

Do you have skincare questions? If you don’t have a beauty consultant yet, send me a message and let’s start something beautiful.

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