For cosmetic products with a minimum shelf life of less than 30 months, the indication of the best-before date (MHD) is mandatory. The manufacturer usually uses the symbol of an hourglass together with the note of the date for illustration.
The best-before date is not an expiration date and merely determines that the skin care product will retain its original condition and function when properly stored.

For beauty products with a minimum shelf life of more than 30 months, no note of the MHD is required. The manufacturer must indicate the PAO (Period after Opening), the safe duration of use (when stored properly) after a product has been opened. An opened cream jar with a note of the period of use in months serves as a symbol.
The indication of the shelf life after opening of the skin care products helps consumers to better assess the period of safe use.

Not only packaged foods, but also cosmetics have an ingredients list. The ingredients of a skin care product must be printed on the packaging or on an instruction leaflet.

They are labeled according to the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI for short) and the individual ingredients that make up more than one percent of the contents are listed in decreasing order according to their proportion by weight. This means that the more of a substance there is in the cosmetic product, the higher it is ranked. As a rule, these are the basic ingredients of beauty products – water, fats, alcohol, surfactants. They are usually followed by active ingredients such as plant extracts and excipients, especially preservatives and colorants.

If you want to find out more about the individual terms of the ingredients of your skin care, you can get extensive information on the platform haut.de (link: https://www.haut.de/inhaltsstoffe-inci/) or you can search for individual ingredients of your beauty product in the Cosmetic ingredient database of the EU (link: https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/cosmetics/cosmetic-ingredient-database_fr).

Food supplements and sports supplements are best stored in their original packaging (usually plastic or glass containers). For storage, a dark, dry place is particularly suitable (possibly a cabinet, drawer). It should be noted that the capsules, tablets, vials or the oil and powder is not exposed to strong light, high temperatures or humidity. Isolated products should be stored in a cool place, in which case they are best kept in the refrigerator. You can always find the correct storage method in the product description.

And why is the correct storage of your dietary supplement so important: the safe intake (according to the specified daily dose) is in any case guaranteed until the specified best-before date. However, the storage place should always be out of reach of children. Ingredients that are completely unproblematic for adults can be dangerous for small children, especially dietary supplements in child-friendly form (such as bears, pellets) entice the little ones to snack.

1. solid parts, such as capsules, tablets,… belong in the residual waste. It is important to note that oily parts should also be disposed of in the residual waste!

2. aqueous parts (e.g. drinking ampoules) can be disposed of via the sink, unlike medicines.

3. to avoid waste and in the course of the recycling process, paper or cardboard packaging should be disposed of separately in the waste paper collection, plastic containers in the yellow garbage can, glass containers in the glass container.

According to the latest estimates, the development costs of new cosmetic products amount to several billion euros for manufacturers every year. The individual research departments and laboratories often work for years on the formulations of new beauty products, and thousands of formulations for active ingredients are patented throughout Europe every year.

And this is how it works: In the laboratory process, the cosmetic product is exposed to various conditions such as heat, cold, strong exposure to light, strong shaking, constant opening… and then tested for its composition and effectiveness. The product ingredients must not dissolve and must be “pure” and safe from a microbiological point of view. If this process is successful, the beauty product is subjected to a practical test (user test). If all test steps show a positive result, the skin care product can go into production from a developmental point of view.

Another stage in the development process is opened up by the new EU Cosmetics Regulation, which lays down strict requirements for consumer protection and obliges manufacturers to provide the following information and conduct themselves: First and foremost, this includes sufficient labeling of cosmetic products (manufacturer, minimum content,…) as well as the notation of the expiration date, so that the user:in know how long they can use their skin care products. However, disposable products, spray cans or non-perishable products such as perfumes, do not require an expiration date.

The labeling of ingredients with INCI offers especially allergy sufferers the possibility to avoid unpleasant consequences of using a product. The safety assessment of cosmetic products, which is carried out by independent experts as part of a toxicological test, proves that the beauty product is really safe for the user with regard to its composition. The EU-wide ban on animal testing must be observed throughout the entire development process. The technical documentation (information on product composition, ingredients, efficacy of the product, safety assessment, manufacturing method, observed undesirable effects of the product during the development process and any complaints) must be retained.