Expiration for AS and balms??

Greetings All,

Any thoughts on expiration of post shave products? Most do not have any date printed on them but have the symbol of an open jar and "12 m." I wonder if they change or go bad after a while.

A couple of alcohol based AS's have started to smell stronger to me, and I wonder if some of the alcohol evaporated, leaving a more concentrated solution. It may just be that my tastes have changed, since some of these products were bought 3-4 yrs ago.

Any thoughts or personal experiences to relate?

Thanks,
Alan

I've got AS products that are years old , even decades old, I guess if the alcohol did shrink it could be more potent but I,m thinking that the oils would still be the same locked up in a bottle and no sunlight. Tc

Agree. Strength of scent may change, but the basics last a looooong time!

I have a couple of old bottles of splash on that still smell good, but they have aged so long I'm thinking they might be better to drink ! :rofl2:

I came across a bottle of Old Spice in an antique store about 4 years ago, full. Opened it up at my mother's house, , put a few drops on my fingers & a few drops spilled on the table,,,,,,,,

The smell of Old Spice was so strong , no one could stand it,,, we could smell it in the room for 2 days, even after the table was cleaned with 409.

I had to use fresh cut lemons & baking soda on my fingers to cub the smell,,, it lasted on my hands for 3 days.

I really wanted the glass bottle & was afraid to pour it on the ground outside , as it might scatter all the wildlife in the area.

I sealed it with wax, the cap, marked it as "Vintage" with a label on the bottle.

I'll use it as a chemical weapon, if times get bad.

It depends on the product. I've had A/S get cloudy and depending on the formulation stabilizers can stop working and some components can deteriorate. Often times the more expensive the product the better chance it will deteriorate especially with natural ingredients.

Now something like Lilac Vegetal, well you know they uncovered that in the tombs of the Pharaohs in Egypt and you know about the curse of King Tut? Well that's because they found a bottle of the stuff and they opened it and everyone within 100 yards instantly dropped dead. They thought it was a curse. I've been told if you have a bottle of the stuff that's over 50 years old you can pour it in your gas tank and it's like Nitro.

A great deal depends on the storage. If kept from UV light, heat and tightly capped, it will last a lot longer. The accepted rule on fine colognes is a year, but then it just may be that the makers want you to drop another fortune on a new bottle.

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

It depends on the product. I've had A/S get cloudy and depending on the formulation stabilizers can stop working and some components can deteriorate. Often times the more expensive the product the better chance it will deteriorate especially with natural ingredients.

Now something like Lilac Vegetal, well you know they uncovered that in the tombs of the Pharaohs in Egypt and you know about the curse of King Tut? Well that's because they found a bottle of the stuff and they opened it and everyone within 100 yards instantly dropped dead. They thought it was a curse. I've been told if you have a bottle of the stuff that's over 50 years old you can pour it in your gas tank and it's like Nitro.

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,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,:gaah:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

It depends on the product. I've had A/S get cloudy and depending on the formulation stabilizers can stop working and some components can deteriorate. Often times the more expensive the product the better chance it will deteriorate especially with natural ingredients.

Now something like Lilac Vegetal, well you know they uncovered that in the tombs of the Pharaohs in Egypt and you know about the curse of King Tut? Well that's because they found a bottle of the stuff and they opened it and everyone within 100 yards instantly dropped dead. They thought it was a curse. I've been told if you have a bottle of the stuff that's over 50 years old you can pour it in your gas tank and it's like Nitro.

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That vintage Egyptian Lilac Vegetal is my scent of the day, today. After your description, I hope I dont offend anyone. I would ask my wife, but she seems to be unresponsive and bleeding from the nose at the moment.

I think you just have to use them until you no longer think they're good anymore, or something changes in them. I haven't had any go bad yet, but the oldest product I have is about 2 years old.

Lilac Vegetal does not "go bad", it starts our that way.

I can't argue with this,,,,:shrug:

My oldest aftershave is some 25+ year old brut. Still smells and works the same. Obviously, it is not one of my favorites. I don't think are any "natural" ingredients in that stuff.
I have some bay rum that someone made for me about 10 years ago and I've had to top it off with additional rum a couple of times due to evaporation through a loose cap. (I should really fix that one day) It is all natural and still smells and works the same.

Lilac vegetal, on the other hand, I think gets better with age. Get it out of that plastic bottle and into glass and the longer it sits the better it smells.

Still have a bottle of hai karate, left from the early seventies, don't know if it's bad or not, it was crap when I bought it. Tc

I have the following AS that I bought years ago and they all still seem good to me - dates are approximate: Aqua Velva Ice Blue (1984), Old Spice (1988), and Aramis (1997).

During the work week I also use Williams Lectric (1983) as an AS since the scent soon dissipates and I like it as an AS.

All the above have been stored with caps on tight and out of the light.

All be darned, I looked and found some "Stetson" yesterday, took the cap off, smelled like always, then the little woman piped up and said she thought it was nasty smelling from the get go.
I figure if You like the smell, wear it, if your spouse doesn't like it, Hahaha, Use as a Repellent!!!
Just for those times they want to bug ya a bunch. :rofl2:

When Lilac Vegetal goes bad, it is used to scent the urinal blocks in bus station bathrooms.
Same when it is fresh.

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Originally Posted by IndependenceRazor1

When Lilac Vegetal goes bad, it is used to scent the urinal blocks in bus station bathrooms.
Same when it is fresh.

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Naa, when it goes bad they send it to Oklahoma where it's used to execute prisoners. lethal Injection? not necessary. After he has his last meal the guard throws an ampule of the stuff into his cell and he's dead in seconds.

Mornin Gents,

As always I love reading these threads for the wit spread about here and there, you guys really do have a great sense of humor. Aftershaves are at the top of my list at the moment, and this is what I've discovered; As many of you already know, if alcohol has been used as a preservative, the shelf life can be indefinite.....as in the "Lilac Vegetal" ....geeez, what is THAT stuff ? lol I need to do more research!

If a different preservative is used, then it changes the whole ballgame.....or at least it should. My understanding is that anything with natural ingredients and use of "other" preservatives should have an expiration date just to be on the safe side.

Shelf Life/Expiration Dating