If you have found Argan oil to be very effective, you are probably asking does Argan oil expire? Argan oil has been used for centuries to soothe skin and care for hair, it’s risen in popularity in the past decade. It’s an excellent way to support hair health, scalp health, gives hair a healthy shine, protects your skin from sun and dryness, cleanses the skin, and brightens skin. If you haven’t hopped on the argan oil trend yet, the benefits make it a no-brainer!
As with any new beauty product, you want to know how it works. What are the ingredients? Where can you use argan oil and how often should you use it? What’s the shelf lifelike, and does argan oil expire? What happens if you use expired argan oil?
If these questions seem overwhelming, don’t worry. This guide breaks down everything you need to know about the shelf life of argan oil. The general rule of thumb is that yes, argan oil does expire. How long is the shelf life, can you use expired argan oil, and what happens if you do use expired argan oil? We’ve got all the answers! Keep reading to find out!
Can you Use Expired Argan Oil?
We’ve all been there. You go to check for your favorite hair product and realize that it’s no longer living its shelf life. In fact, it might be well past its shelf life. There are some products you should pay special attention to their expiration dates, but what about argan oil? Can you use it even after it’s expired?
The simple answer is, yes. Using expired argan oil isn’t going to hurt you. However, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, only use argan oil that’s expired if it still looks and smells normal. Just because it’s lived past its ‘sell by’ date or shelf life, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s no longer good. Argan oil can still function past its expiration date.
However, if the product smells bad, looks funky, or has any other unusual qualities to it, it’s probably time to toss it and buy a new one.
How Do You Know if Argan Oil is Expired?
If your argan oil product has expired, you’ll be able to tell. The most obvious sign that it’s lived past its shelf life is the smell. If you notice a funky smell from your argan oil product that wasn’t there before, your argan oil is probably expired.
When good, argan oil has a nut-like smell to it. However, if argan oil has gone bad, it will smell rotten. If you can’t tell, you can always compare it to another bottle of argan oil. Find another bottle of argan oil and smell it to compare, or head to the store and smell a bottle of argan oil. Chances are, if your argan oil is expired, you’ll know.
How Long Does It Take for Argan Oil to Expire?
Argan oil can be used in a lot of different products. For instance, it comes in hair care products, skincare products, and other beauty products as well. Depending on how it was manufactured, which other ingredients are included in the product, and what kind of packaging it came in, each product will have a different shelf life.
The best way to get a ballpark of when your argan oil is going to expire is to look at the bottle. There will be an expiration date clearly printed on the bottle for you to reference as you use it. Most argan oil products last quite a long time compared to some beauty products that only last a few months. You can likely expect around two years of shelf life for argan oil, although the bottle may say as little as six months or as long as three years.
Where you store argan oil, how well you keep it, and how you use it also affect its shelf life. For instance, you always want to keep the inside of the product clean. Never dip anything into a bottle of argan oil product, as this lets bacteria inside.
Instead, keep the product clean, and store it in a dry, lukewarm area. This will help maximize the shelf life of argan oil and help you get the most out of your product!
Tips to Extend Argan Oil Shelf Life
While you can’t stop argan oil from expiring, you can certainly take measures to extend argan oil’s shelf life. Here are some of the best ways to do this!
First, it’s vital to keep it clean. Depending on what kind of product it is and how it’s packed, it might be more challenging to keep your argan oil clean. However, this is vital to extending the shelf life. Don’t let the applicator tool touch your hair directly and keep the inside away from the bacteria on the outside.
Tightening the lid all the way can also help to extend the shelf life of argan oil. When you go to close the product or put it away, double-check that the lid is tightened all the way. This will keep the inside safe from the outside’s germs, temperature, moisture, and conditions.
Lastly, know where to store your argan oil. Even if you store the rest of your hair care products in the bathroom, don’t keep your argan oil here. The bathroom takes a lot of heat and moisture from showers and water, which can shorten the shelf life of argan oil. Instead, find a cool, dry place for it to stay away from direct sunlight and moisture.
What Happens if You Use Expired Argan Oil on Hair?
If you do use expired argan oil on your hair, don’t panic. You likely haven’t done any real damage to your hair other than giving it a funky smell. Some of the things that can happen when you use expired argan oil include:
1. Possible Damage to Hair
While unlikely, there is some possible damage that your hair could sustain. Free radicals are toxins that our bodies encounter on a daily basis. They come from chemicals, pollution, some food products, and rotten products. Free radicals can cause oxidative stress when left unaddressed, leading to hair damage, breakage, split ends, dryness, and more.
If argan oil is expired enough, it may contain free radicals that can speed up the breakdown of hair and lead to oxidative stress. Argan oil is supposed to make your hair healthy, not speed up its decline, so this is one of the possible effects of using expired argan oil. However, using it once after it’s expired likely won’t cause too much harm.
2. Wash Your Hair
If you do use expired argan oil, don’t worry. Follow these simple next steps to restore your hair to health. First, wash your hair if you can. If you’re out and about, just wash your hair as soon as you get home. This will get the product out of your hair and rinse out any leftovers.
Be sure to use a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner as this will hydrate your hair and help it stay healthy. If you still need a product to use, there are many alternatives to using argan oil. For instance, you can use coconut oil, hair serums, or even pomades to add a bit of shine to your hair and help it hold style and texture more efficiently.
Conclusion
Argan oil is an excellent product that fuels hair growth, hair health, and can help you look and smell great. However, it’s important not to use expired argan oil. This can smell bad, increase free radical damage to hair, and lead to unwanted byproducts. Knowing when argan oil expires, how to spot it, and what to do next is important to keeping your hair healthy and looking great!
