How long is the shelf life of hand cream? What are the dangers of using expired hand cream?

When winter comes, the skin on your hands becomes very dry and fragile. Therefore, many ladies choose to use hand cream to protect their hand skin, and many people will continue to use the hand cream that they have not used up last year. But did you know that hand cream has a shelf life?

How long is the shelf life of hand cream?

2-3 years. The shelf life of hand creams from different brands is different, but in most cases, the shelf life of hand creams is three years. Some hand creams have a shelf life of 1 or 2 years. However, this time refers to unopened hand creams. If it is an opened hand cream, the shelf life will not be that long. Therefore, once we start using hand cream, we must use it up as soon as possible.

And the shelf life of hand cream will be shortened after opening. The main ingredient of hand cream is oil, and the storage time of oil itself is not long. After the hand cream is opened, the oil comes into contact with the air, including bacteria, viruses, dust, etc. in the air, and will become more likely to spoil. The shelf life will therefore be greatly shortened, from the original three years to 6 or 12 months.

What are the dangers of using expired hand cream?

1. Using expired hand cream can cause skin sensitivity

Hand cream will lose its original effectiveness after it expires, especially if the hand cream used for sensitive skin is expired, it can easily cause skin allergies and irritate the skin, which may cause some allergies, so it is best not to use hand cream if it is expired.

2. Using expired hand cream will breed bacteria

Microorganisms and bacteria have already entered the hand cream when it is used for the first time. These things will breed and multiply in the hand cream. There are already many bacteria in the expired hand cream. If you use the hand cream again at this time, these bacteria will be brought to your hands. If you are not careful, they may be ingested into your mouth or cause wound infection.

3. Using expired hand cream will lose its moisturizing effect

The purpose of using hand cream is to moisturize dry skin, but if the hand cream is expired, the active ingredients in the hand cream will lose their effect. Therefore, when your hands are dry, no matter how much expired hand cream you apply, it will not moisturize the skin, and your hands will still dry out quickly.

Therefore, the hand cream should be used as soon as possible after opening, and hand cream is a consumable product, so remember to apply hand cream after washing your hands~