Even though nowadays there are balms, ointments, creams to protect the sensitive areas of a baby, baby powder is still at the top of the list on common items in a household with a baby. Being a cautious parent, you might be worried about expired baby powder causing harm to your baby. But, does baby powder expire?
Baby powders do expire. A baby powder’s shelf life depends upon the main ingredient that has been used. The modern baby powders don’t usually come with an expiration date. Still, if your baby powder has been opened and exposed to air and moisture, it is suggested to consider the baby powder expired after 12-18 months & if it’s unopened, then 3 years.
As the baby powder is a very widely famous product and is used by a huge number of people, several types of research have been done on the product, and as a result, there are a lot of things to learn regarding baby powder. In this article, I am going to try to provide you with all the necessary information on this topic.
Does Baby Powder Have an Expiration Date?
It is said that body powders can be used for up to a couple of years as they are made of low moisture ingredients. But if the powder is stored incorrectly and kept in a humid environment, it would absorb moisture, as a result the product may get spoiled and have bacterial growth in it. Also, the ingredients used in baby powder will play a vital role in deciding its lifespan.
So, baby powder does expire depending on its main ingredient and how it’s stored. If the ingredient used to make the baby powder is organic, then the powder’s shelf life may be shorter as it will be more affected by the environmental factors. But still, the shelf life of this product depends completely upon the standard of the brands that make them and the additional ingredients used.
The two most commonly used ingredients in making baby powders are talc and cornstarch, as both are used to consume moisture and provide comfort in your baby’s delicate areas. But as cornstarch is organic, whereas talc is non-organic, baby powder’s shelf life based on these two ingredients may vary.
Cornstarch is one of the primary ingredients in making baby powder because of its absorbent quality. It is used in Gold Bond Cornstarch Baby Powder, Pure Cornstarch Baby Powder, Burt’s Bees Baby Dusting Powder, and Johnson’s Pure Cornstarch Baby Powder.
Due to being organic, cornstarch-based baby powder should come with an expiration date, though it is not always the case. As it undergoes processing, the manufacturers usually avoid providing it. But it is important to know that, as it is organic, the consistency of the ingredients cannot be relied upon, and also the storing technique can affect the shelf life.
Though talc is becoming somewhat uncommon, it was once the top most used ingredient in different kinds of cosmetics. The smooth feel and moisture absorbent quality that talc provided was the reason behind so.
Talc is a prevalent ingredient in deodorants, baby powders, and cosmetics as it doesn’t have any expiration date of itself and cuts down friction while providing great moisture. Though talc itself doesn’t have an expiration date, a shelf life may be suggested to be on the safe side when used in other products as an ingredient, which is almost three years.
But doesn’t matter if you are using a talc-based baby powder or a cornstarch-based baby powder (check best baby powders list), it is recommended to consider your baby powder to be expired if it has been open and has been exposed to environmental factors like moisture for about 18 months. But if the container is unopened and stored correctly, this expiration date can reach up to 3 years.
How to Know If Your Baby Powder Has Expired?
Due to the nature of the ingredients used to make baby powder, they don’t show much changes when recently expired. So, if the container doesn’t display any expiration date, then there are some slight changes through which you’ll be able to come to the conclusion that your baby powder has expired.
If your baby powder has expired, the first thing you’ll notice is that the smell the powder contained has either changed or is missing. So, the smell will give you the first clue. And the second clue to look out for is the presence of clumps. From the earlier discussion, we can conclude that if the baby powder is exposed to moisture, it will be affected negatively.
So, if your baby powder is not stored correctly and gets exposed to moisture and air, then there will be lumps in the powder. This lumpy baby powder is not something you want to use on your baby to provide it with comfort and frictionless movement. So, if you notice that the powder has started to get lumpy, it’s better not to apply it to your baby.
Another thing to look out for is to see if the container of the powder you are using has been tightly closed previously. Because if it wasn’t and if it’s been like that for a while, then germs, moisture, and humid environment might’ve been able to enter the container, thereby damaging the quality of the powder. And you definitely don’t want to use it on your baby.
So, make sure to tightly close the container each time you use the baby powder and keep the container in a not too humid place. And thus, the above-mentioned signs won’t surface at least for 18 months to three years.
Should You Be Using Expired Baby Powder?
Baby powders are said to be okay to use even after they have crossed their expiration date shown on the bottle or packaging, especially if they are made of only one ingredient. But still, to be on the safe side, the expiration date provided by the manufacturers should be taken into consideration because we should never take any chances when taking care of our children.
And even if the container doesn’t come with an expiration date, it is a smart choice to look for the above-mentioned signs to determine if the baby powder is expired or not. It is also wise to get rid of it if the container has been open for 12-18 months.
But if it is unopened, then make sure to throw it away after having it for three years because there’s no way to tell if the powder has expired without being tested in labs. And it is not worth the risk.
If it shows a sign of expiration, then avoid using it on your baby. Because the powder gets inhaled by the baby, it can cause severe respiratory problems. And as baby powders aren’t that expensive, my suggestion would be to get rid of your baby powder if you are doubting its quality or you are facing trouble deciding if it’s expired or not.
Conclusion
In this article, I have tried to answer the most common questions regarding baby powder. Such as- does baby powder expire whether or not it is a wise decision to use expired baby powder on children. I have also talked about the signs that expired baby powder displays to help you determine if yours is still okay to be used.
I hope this article was of help to you and wish you the best of luck at providing your baby with a happy and healthy life. Thanks for stopping by and farewell.
