The Meaning Behind That Tiny Jar Symbol on All of Your Beauty Products
 

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Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Emily Faulstitch

Sadly, beauty products are **t immortal. In case you didn't k**w, makeup and skincare products have varying shelf lives. It's important to k**w their respective expiration dates so that you don't end up wasting your time with a dud or - even worse - irritating your skin. Fortunately, most brands will let you k**w exactly when a product expires thanks to a handy symbol you might **t have k**wn about.

On each beauty product, you can find a tiny little jar symbol with a number on it. That jar is referred to as the "period after opening" symbol, and it indicates how many months you can safely use a product after opening it. Is your mind blown yet?

The European Commission made the symbol mandatory in 2003, however, the United States currently does **t require all cosmetics to state the expiration date via the PAO symbol. That being said, the Food and Drug Administration does encourage it. In a statement online, the FDA explained, "Manufacturers are responsible for making sure their products are safe. FDA considers determining a product's shelf life to be part of the manufacturer's responsibility."

So next time you find yourself questioning whether a product is past its prime, just look out for that tiny jar to k**w for certain.





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