Remember that gorgeous red lipstick you bought for your friend’s wedding two years ago? The one that’s been sitting in your makeup bag ever since? Yeah, I used it last week and ended up with weird bumps around my mouth. Turns out expired lipstick is NOT your friend.
This happened to me more times than I care to admit before I finally got smart about tracking my lipstick ages. Most of us have no clue how old our makeup actually is, and lipsticks are probably the worst offenders because they seem to last forever. Spoiler alert: they don’t.
Why I Created This Calculator
I was cleaning out my makeup drawer last spring and found lipsticks I’d completely forgotten about. Some still had the price tags on them! I started wondering which ones were still safe to use and which ones needed to go straight in the trash.
Turns out figuring out lipstick age is harder than it should be. Some tubes have tiny dates printed in weird places. Others just have cryptic batch numbers that mean nothing to normal humans. And some have absolutely nothing useful at all.
After spending hours trying to decode manufacturing dates and getting nowhere, I decided to build something that would do the detective work for me.
The Two Ways to Check Your Lipstick Age
This tool works with whatever information you can actually find on your lipstick tube. Because let’s be real, cosmetic companies don’t make this easy for us.
Open Date Method Some lipsticks have actual dates printed on them. Look for tiny numbers that might say something like “03/22” or “0322.” Sometimes they’re on the bottom of the tube, sometimes on the side, sometimes hidden under the label. It’s like a treasure hunt, but less fun.
Batch Number Method This is where things get tricky. Most lipsticks just have random letters and numbers that look like someone sneezed on a keyboard. These batch codes actually contain the manufacturing date, but each brand uses their own secret system.
I spent way too much time learning how to crack these codes so you don’t have to.
My Personal Lipstick Horror Stories
Let me tell you about the time I used a four-year-old lipstick for a job interview. Not only did it smell weird, but it also went on patchy and made my lips feel raw for days. Did I get the job? Absolutely not. Coincidence? Maybe, but I’m not taking chances anymore.
Then there was my favorite nude shade that I’d been hoarding for “special occasions.” When I finally used it for my sister’s graduation, it had turned this awful orange color and tasted like crayons. Special occasion ruined.
The worst was probably the expensive designer lipstick I found in my old purse. It looked fine from the outside, but when I twisted it up, there was actual MOLD growing on it. I nearly threw up.
These disasters taught me that keeping track of lipstick age isn’t just about getting the best color payoff. It’s about not poisoning yourself with expired cosmetics.
What Happens When Lipsticks Go Bad
Do lipsticks actually expire? Oh yes, they absolutely do.
How can you tell? Several ways, and none of them are pleasant.
The texture changes first. Fresh lipstick glides on smoothly. Old lipstick feels gritty, hard to spread, or weirdly slippery. Sometimes it develops little white spots or starts separating.
The smell is usually the dead giveaway. Good lipstick smells like nothing or maybe has a faint vanilla scent. Bad lipstick smells rancid, like old oil or crayons left in a hot car.
The color shifts too. Reds turn brown, pinks turn orange, nudes get this gross yellow tint. It’s not subtle either. Your favorite berry shade might look completely different after it expires.
Industry Secrets About Lipstick Dating
Here’s something most people don’t know. The little period-after-opening symbol (PAO) on your lipstick packaging tells you how long it’s good for AFTER you first use it, not from when it was manufactured.
Most lipsticks have 12M or 18M printed inside that tiny jar symbol. That means 12 or 18 months after opening. But here’s the catch: that countdown doesn’t start until you break the seal and use it for the first time.
I learned this from a cosmetic chemist friend who explained that unopened lipsticks can last 2-3 years if stored properly. But once you use them, the clock starts ticking because you’ve introduced bacteria from your lips.
Batch Number Decoding Made Simple
Different brands use completely different systems for their batch codes. It’s intentionally confusing because they don’t really want us tracking expiration dates.
MAC uses a three-character code where the first letter indicates the month and the last number shows the year.
Revlon puts the month and year right in the batch number, but you have to know their system.
Maybelline uses a different format altogether.
The calculator handles all these variations automatically. Just input the batch number you see, select the brand if you know it, and let the tool figure out the rest.
Storage Tips That Actually Matter
Where do you keep your lipsticks? This makes a huge difference in how long they last.
Heat is lipstick’s biggest enemy. Leaving them in your car during summer basically guarantees they’ll go bad fast. I learned this when I left a brand new lipstick in my glove compartment during a Texas heat wave. It turned into soup.
Bathroom storage isn’t great either because of all the humidity from showers. Cool, dry places work best. My bedroom dresser drawer has become my lipstick sanctuary.
Direct sunlight fades colors and breaks down the formula. Those pretty glass displays near windows look cute but destroy your lipsticks.
When to Toss vs When to Keep
The calculator gives you the manufacturing date, but deciding whether to keep or toss depends on a few factors.
Definitely throw away if:
- It smells off or rancid
- The texture has changed dramatically
- You see any mold or weird growths
- It’s been more than 3 years since manufacturing
- You’ve had any lip infections recently
Probably okay to keep if:
- It’s less than 2 years old and unused
- It’s been opened less than 18 months
- Color and texture seem normal
- No weird smells
When in doubt, toss it. Lipsticks aren’t that expensive compared to dealing with lip infections or allergic reactions.
Brand Differences I’ve Noticed
Not all lipsticks age the same way. Higher-end brands with better preservatives tend to last longer than drugstore options. But there are exceptions.
Luxury brands like Tom Ford and Charlotte Tilbury use better ingredients and packaging that helps preserve the formula longer.
Drugstore brands vary wildly. Some last surprisingly well, others start going bad within months of opening.
Liquid lipsticks generally expire faster than traditional bullets because of their formula and packaging.
Matte lipsticks seem to last longer than glossy ones in my experience.
Questions Everyone Asks Me
Can you extend lipstick life somehow? Not really. Once the formula starts breaking down, there’s no going back.
What about sanitizing with alcohol? This kills surface bacteria but doesn’t fix expired ingredients.
Is it safe to use slightly expired lipstick? I wouldn’t risk it. Your lips are sensitive and absorb everything you put on them.
What if I can’t find any dates or codes? When in doubt, think about when you bought it. If you can’t remember, it’s probably time to replace it.
Making This Tool Work for You
Start by gathering all your lipsticks in one place. You’ll probably find some you forgot you owned.
Check each tube for either an open date or batch number. Sometimes you need good lighting and maybe a magnifying glass because the printing is tiny.
Input what you find into the calculator and make note of the results. I keep a simple list on my phone with lipstick names and their expiration status.
Set calendar reminders for lipsticks approaching their expiration dates. This way you can use up your favorites before they go bad.
The Reality Check We All Need
Most of us keep lipsticks way longer than we should. I’m guilty of holding onto “special occasion” shades that never see daylight while they slowly expire in my drawer.
The truth is, makeup is meant to be used and enjoyed, not hoarded until it goes bad. This calculator helps you figure out what’s still good so you can actually wear your lipsticks instead of letting them turn into expensive trash.