Three dates decide whether a product is safe to use
Every genuine skincare product carries the information you need to trust it. Learn to read three things and you will never use a dead product — or get sold stock that is about to expire: the expiry / best-before date, the PAO symbol, and the batch (lot) code.
1. The expiry / best-before date
Printed (not stickered) on both the box and the bottle, usually as "EXP", "Best before", or a plain date. The two should match. If the date is missing, smudged, or covered by a price sticker, treat the product as suspicious — that is one of the oldest tricks for selling expired or counterfeit stock.
2. The PAO symbol (Period After Opening)
The little open-jar icon with a number like "12M" or "6M" means "use within this many months after you open it." A 12M sunscreen opened in January should be finished by next January, even if the printed expiry is later. Most actives (vitamin C, retinol) have shorter open-life than the box suggests.
3. The batch (lot) code
A short alphanumeric code stamped or embossed into the packaging (not on a sticker) that ties the unit to its manufacturing batch. On a genuine product it is crisp and matches across the box and bottle. On fakes it is often missing, mismatched, or printed on a peel-off label. Many brands let you decode the manufacture date from this code — and on TheSkinProof you can verify the batch code or QR directly.
How to spot near-expiry stock
"Near-expiry" stock is genuine but close to expiring — so it gets dumped cheap. Watch for:
- A steep, unexplained discount far below the normal price.
- Less than ~6 months left before the printed expiry.
- An expiry date hidden under a price sticker.
- A seller who can't or won't tell you the expiry before you buy.
Why expired skincare is a real risk — not just "less effective"
After expiry, two things happen: the active ingredients break down, so the product stops working; and the preservatives fail, which lets bacteria or mould grow. That can mean irritation, breakouts, or infection — on skin you were trying to look after. Because expired stock is sold cheap, a price that looks too good is often a warning sign (more on that in why "too cheap" skincare is almost always fake).
How TheSkinProof handles dates and batches
We log every batch with its batch number and expiry date, and near-expiry stock is never put on sale. Each parcel ships with a code you can check on the Product Checker, and every product clears our 4-gate verification — all backed by a 2× money-back guarantee.
Quick checklist before you buy
- Expiry printed on box and bottle, and they match.
- PAO symbol present; enough open-life for how long it'll take you to finish it.
- Batch code stamped in, not on a sticker.
- Discount is reasonable — not "too good to be true."
- The seller can verify the product's source. (See the complete guide to authentic skincare.)
Shop verified products for this guide
Every item is invoice-verified and batch-checked — 2× money-back if counterfeit.
Before you buy: check authenticity, not price
Don’t chase the cheapest product — look for the authentic one. A cheap fake can damage your skin, and using nothing at all does less harm than using a counterfeit. But a high price doesn’t guarantee authenticity either — people overpay for fakes too. So judge by authenticity, not price.
TheSkinProof offers free authenticity verification. Message our Facebook page with the product and we’ll analyze it and tell you whether it’s real or fake — so it’s important to verify before you buy anything. Or simply buy from TheSkinProof, where every product is already invoice-verified with a 2× money-back guarantee.