What to Do with Expired Cosmetics?

We all have quite a few jars, tubes, and bottles sitting on our bathroom shelves. We don’t actually use all of these products regularly, which means that some cosmetics go untouched for weeks or even months. Eventually, they pass their prime. At that point, at the latest, consumers are faced with the question: What to do with expired cosmetics?

Unopened cosmetic products must have a shelf life of at least 30 months after manufacture. If the formulations are very sensitive and reach their expiration date sooner, they must bear a best-before date on the packaging. This is often the case with baby care products, but can also apply to natural cosmetics that have not been preserved with artificial substances.

Shelf Life After Opening: The PAO Symbol

The situation is somewhat different when a product has already been opened by the consumer. In that case, germs and bacteria—which are present everywhere in the air around us—can easily penetrate the product. This naturally affects the shelf life.

This is where the PAO symbol comes into play. PAO stands for “Period After Opening” and indicates how long the product remains usable after opening. The symbol depicts an open jar along with a time period.

But what should you do with expired cosmetics when the date has long passed?

What to do with expired cosmetics: What to keep in mind

Very important: Cosmetic residues should never be flushed down the toilet. Wastewater treatment plants cannot always filter them out without leaving residues, which leads to a high level of pollution in the wastewater.

But where should expired cosmetics go then?

As a general rule, the packaging and contents should be disposed of separately. Empty glass bottles and jars can go in the glass recycling bin, cardboard packaging in the paper recycling, and plastic bottles or containers in the recycling bin or yellow bag. The cosmetic residues themselves belong in the general waste, as they cannot be recycled.

Exception: Nail polish and nail polish remover

But be careful: This only applies to “harmless” creams and lotions! When it comes to products like nail polish or nail polish remover, however, we’re back to the question “Where should expired cosmetics go?”, because these residues are an exception and are classified as hazardous waste.

The reason: They contain solvents. Therefore, they must be disposed of accordingly. By the way, this also applies to cosmetic pads and wipes that have been soaked in nail polish remover!

Properly disposing of cosmetics made from different materials

For some products, disposal is a bit more complicated. What to do with expired cosmetics if they’re made of different materials?

Just think of eyeshadow, which often comes in small metal pans that are in turn housed in plastic containers. In this case, it’s best to separate the metal pans from the plastic packaging. A screwdriver usually works very well for this.

If there is no aluminum collection point in your area, both components—metal and plastic—can be placed in the recycling bin. Separating them beforehand makes it much easier for recycling facilities to sort the different materials by machine.

The eyeshadow itself, once cleanly separated, belongs in the general waste.

What to do with expired cosmetics: Acting responsibly for the sake of our environment

Yes, what to do with expired cosmetics—this is a question consumers ask themselves time and again. Of course, it’s best to use up the products completely. If a product does happen to have passed its expiration date, disposal can be handled effectively by following certain guidelines.

So that no one has to ask themselves anymore: What to do with expired cosmetics?