Can You Use Expired Shampoo?

You may forget your shampoo or buy too much but don’t use it all in time. They may have expired. Each shampoo has a different shelf life.

How do you know your shampoo has expired? Can you use expired shampoo? We will give you the correct answer through the shares in this article!

Can you use expired shampoo?

Best not! But in case you don’t have an alternative product. You can still use them if you check some of the following:

• Does shampoo contain preservatives?
• Condition of shampoo

Shelf life is the time when the product works best. However, because of the expiration date, they become a substance harmful to human health.

Past the best shelf life of products can cause them to change in smell, formulation, and ingredients, and may also go bad.

Using expired shampoo is still acceptable. However, when expired, the product will be less effective.

Therefore, if possible, we recommend that you buy a new product instead. And if you have no choice, you can check the following signs to consider whether your product is still usable or not.

Does shampoo contain preservatives?

Preservatives are an important ingredient in many products, including shampoos. Some preservatives are found in shampoos such as DMDM Hydantoin, Methylparaben, benzyl alcohol, phenoxyethanol, Parabens,… Manufacturers add preservatives so as not to change the chemicals in the shampoo. It is also an ingredient that helps shampoos last longer.

If your expired shampoo bottle has preservatives in it. Most of the chemicals in it will remain unchanged. You can use them if their condition is stable. This shampoo can still clean your hair, but the effect will be less.

Contrast if your expired shampoo has no preservatives. The process of changing the chemicals in them will take place faster. It is more likely that the reactions create new substances that are harmful to the hair.

Especially natural shampoos and organic shampoos. It usually has no preservatives and is easily degradable.

Condition of shampoo

The most important point that you need to pay attention to in expired shampoos is their condition. The telltale sign that the shampoo can’t be used anymore is the visible change. Typically color and scent change from the original condition.

Often, really expired shampoos will have an unpleasant scent. They also appear clumpy or looser when new. You can rely on these characteristics to know if you can use expired shampoo or not.

In addition, shampoo may separate due to decomposition. Some shampoos can be damaged but still stay in good condition in terms of smell and texture. You have to pour it into your hands and make a test foam. If it doesn’t foam, it’s broken. The best you can do is throw them away.

What happens if you use expired shampoo?

If you use expired shampoo, your hair will become dry and damaged. Even scalp irritation appears. Due to the change of some chemical substances.

Many people will regret having to throw away a large amount of expired shampoo. However, if you continue to use it, you may encounter some bad problems.

Damaged hair

The structure of hair made of proteins is quite fragile. That’s why we often have to take care of them. Shampoos in addition to mild detergents also add nutrients to the hair.

But when the shampoo expires, the chemical change inside is inevitable. From there, the effectiveness of cleaning and hair care will be greatly reduced. If you keep using it for a long time, it will damage your hair.

Changing hair color

Expired oil will contain some modified detergent. These substances have strong cleaning power. They will make your hair change color. It is possible that your hair will fade in color or no longer have the color you dyed.

Scalp Irritation

In addition to the impact on the hair, the expired shampoo will also harm your scalp. The scalp is a rather sensitive area. Any chemical with a strong detergent will hurt it.

Expired shampoos have many modified chemicals that can irritate the scalp. They can cause itching, red pimples, and flaking of the scalp. If you continue to use it for a long time, the danger will increase.

Hair loss

Using expired shampoo makes the scalp weaker. Your hair also becomes drier and frizzy. Hair lack of moisture and weak roots are the cause of hair loss more and more.

It is better not to use expired shampoo. If they really do expire, they will cause a lot of harm.

How to know that your shampoo has expired?

Manufacturers of shampoos rarely print an expiration date on the packaging. Nor do commodity production laws require them to. Therefore, when looking at the outside of the shell, we will not be able to recognize whether the shampoo has expired or not.

You can tell if the shampoo has expired or not by the mark on the package (if any) and the condition of the shampoo.

Identify expired shampoo by product packaging

Although shampoo manufacturers often do not print expiration dates on their products. But some shampoo products still have an expiration date or manufacturing date printed on the packaging. They usually appear on the bottom of the back of the product.

Some shampoo brands do not print the expiration time but print the logo of the opened box. On the box, there will be symbols usually 12M, 18M, or 24M. “M” here means “month”.

This symbol means that the product can be used within 12 months or 24 months after opening. Each product has a different shelf life.

Identify expired shampoo by the condition of the shampoo

The condition of the shampoo will tell you if it is really past its expiry date. Usually, when the shampoo expires, there will be some conditions such as a strange smell, clumping, and becoming thinner.

• Shampoo changes consistency

Some shampoo products contain a lot of sulfates. When it expires, the contents will evaporate and only sodium dodecyl sulfate or sodium lauryl sulfate remains. These will cause clumping.

Some substances in shampoo can liquefy due to broken bonds. Some shampoos will liquefy and become thinner.

• Change the scent

When the chemical components react to change, the scent of the shampoo will also change. Often, the expired shampoo will have an unpleasant and slightly pungent smell.

• Change color

Some chemical reactions occur that can change the color of the shampoo. If you see the shampoo you’re using is changing color. Please stop using it because it is no longer safe.

• No foaming

Many shampoos can still retain their consistency, scent, or color beyond their expiration date. We will not be able to determine if they are still usable. Let’s test them by foaming. Pour a little shampoo on your hands and try to lather them up.

If no foam appears, it’s time to throw them away!

What can expired shampoo be used for?

If you feel sorry to throw away an expired shampoo bottle. You can keep them and do different things.

However, you should only continue using it if your expired shampoo is in its normal state. For example, the color, scent, and state do not change. With shampoo bottles that have an unstable state. The only thing you can do with them is to throw them away.

Use expired shampoo to polish shoes

A little shampoo can make your shoes shiny in no time. All you need to do is mix some shampoo and salt together. Then use a clean towel to dip the mixture and polish the shoes. It will help your shoes become brighter.

Used as pet shampoo

If your pet’s shampoo is running out. You can use good expired shampoo as a pet shampoo. It still has the ability to clean well and create a pleasant scent.

Lubricating the jammed lock

If your zipper suddenly gets stuck, don’t worry! You just need to put 1-2 drops of shampoo on the stuck position. Immediately you can zip the zipper smoothly.

Peel off the tape 

How can the tape come off gently? It’s very simple, you just need to apply some expired shampoo to the border of the tape. Leave for a few minutes. After that, the tape will peel off on its own and be easier to peel off.

Bubble bath

Shampoo can replace shower gel, expired shampoo is good too! You can use them to create a bath foam with a pleasant scent.

Clean comb

The long-term comb is easy to stick the dirt of the scalp on the comb slots, which looks very bad. You can dilute the expired shampoo with water and let the comb soak for a few minutes. Then gently rinse, any long-standing dirt will “release” and wash away.

Wash clothes

For various stains on clothes, you can also use shampoo to wash your clothes.

Put 1-2 drops of shampoo on the stain, rub it with your hands a few times. Then soak in the bubble of shampoo and wash it like normal clothes.

Closing Points

To notice an expired shampoo, you should look at the packaging and its condition. If you see any abnormality, do not continue to use it.

With some shampoos, although expired, they are still in good condition. You can use them, but it’s best not to. They can cause a lot of damage to your hair and scalp.

In this article, we have given detailed answers and sharing about the question: Can you use expired shampoo? Hopefully, our sharing can be beneficial for you!

See also:

• Does Purple Shampoo Expire? How to Tell If It’s Gone Bad?
• How Often Should You Change Your Shampoo?
• Does Dry Shampoo Expire?