Does Lip Balm Expire? (Or ChapStick)

woman applying lip balm

If you have some lip balm that has been sitting around a while you might be wondering if it could have expired and if lip balm expires at all.

Yes, lip balm can expire. Most lip balms have a shelf life of around 1-2 years’ time. Typically, if you notice any texture change in the lip balm or changes of smell that is a likely sign that it has expired.

Below we will go into all the things you’ll need to know if your lip balm or ChapStick has expired.

Do Lips Balms Expire?

Before we talk about if lip balms expire it’s important we talk about what lip balms are and what they are made up of.

Lips balms are a popular product that are used to moisturize and hydrate the lips. As well as offering protection and stopping the lips from going dry and chapping.

They are often made with a mixture of waxes, oils and other ingredients that combine to keep your lips hydrated and protected. Some people may assume because of it’s more typically hard form factor that lip balm may not even expire or would last for many years without any concern, but this is not true.

How Long Does Lip Balm Last?

As we briefly mentioned before, the typical self-life for lip balm is around 1-2 years’ time. Though some lip balms may spoil faster than others depending on the ingredients that are included in them. An example of lip balms that may spoil faster are ones that use natural oils.

It’s also worth mentioning here that lip balms that are keep in tubes or jars will tend to last longer than those lip balms that are kept in stick form.

The reason for this is because lip balms in stick form are more exposed to the air around them whereas ones in jars or tubes that are sealed shut are much less if at all exposed to the air. The exposure to air will only speed up the time that lip balms and ChapStick will expire.

How to Know If My Lip Balm Has Expired?

If you aren’t sure if your lip balm has expired. One of the best ways to know is from the lip balms texture. If the lip balm has become more lumpy or grainy it’s likely that it has expired.

Also if the lip balm is much more hard and difficult to apply then it’s likely it’s also expired. Assuming you are familiar with the normal texture of the lip balm you will almost immediately know just by looking at the texture of the lip balm or even running it over your finger to see how it feels.

Another obvious sign that the lip balm has went bad is the smell. If you notice any weird or unusual smells chances are the lip balm has gone bad.

One final way that you can tell if your lip balm has expired is by the color. If you notice a difference in color it’s likely your lip balm has gone bad. This more often happens when there is a bacteria build up on the lip balm.

Even if you don’t notice any of these changes to the lip balm as we mentioned above you might notice that it is not as effective as it was before. Perhaps in some cases even making your lips more dry or irritated. In those cases, you should look to replace and buy a new lip balm instead.

Keep in mind that some lip balms will expire faster than others usually due to the ingredients that are included in them such as natural oils like coconut oil or almond oil for example. Also, it’s worth noting that lip balms that include SPF tend to expire more quickly than ones without SPF.

If you want to make your lip balm last for as long as possible then keeping it in a cool and dry area is your best bet. That means keep it away from any sunlight or areas where there is more heat.

Also, if you want to take that extra step you should look to place the lip balm into an airtight sealed bag – that will stop any air getting at it which should only extend its lifespan further.

Important Questions

How Long is Lip Balm Supposed to Last?

Lip balm typically lasts around 1-2 years depending on a selection of reasons such as ingredients in the lip balm and how it has been stored to name a couple.

Does Lip Balm Expire If Unopened?

Lip balm will still expire if it’s unopened but chances are if it is in a sealed tube or jar then it will increase its self-life more than if it has been opened the whole time. That’s because of limiting it’s exposure to air which can make it do bad more quickly.

How Long Does Lip Balm Last After Expiration Date?

Ideally you should not use a lip balm after the expiration date. The reason for this is that even if the lip balm still appears and feels the same chances are the ingredients will have degraded and will no longer be effective.

It could even be that lip balm that has expired will irritate or make your lips more dry than not using it at all. Therefore, it’s recommended to only use lip balm before the expiration date.

How Do You Know If Lip Balm Is Expired?

A couple of the most common ways to know if lip balm has expired is by the texture of the lip balm. If it has went grainy or lumpy it’s likely that the lip balm has expired.

Also, if it’s harder to apply chances are that it may have gone bad too.

Another clear tell-tale sign that the lip balm has expired is the smell. If you notice any weird or unusual smells then it’s almost certain that the lip balm has went bad. Of course, there are other ways that you can tell if the lip balm that has went bad but these 2 are the most common.

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