The Ordinary PAO & NIOD

• Multi-Peptide Serum + HA
• Buffet + Copper Peptides 6M
• Retinol & Retinoids 3M
• UV Mineral Factor 15 & 30

The Ordinary PAO, Period After Opening, Expiry Date & Shelf Life

What is The Ordinary PAO?

PAO stands for “period after opening”. You will find this little symbol somewhere on your box and product reading 3m, 6m, 9m, 12m etc. This means that once you have opened your The Ordinary product, it should be used within 3 months, 6 months or 12 months. It’s worth writing the date you opened it on the box or bottle.

The Ordinary PAO (period after opening), expiry date & shelf life will vary from product to product. Some will say 3M, 12M, and there are some with actual expiry dates.

The Ordinary & NIOD Products Expiry Dates

The majority of the The Oridnary & NIOD products have PAO, but some of The Ordinary and other NIOD products have expiry dates.

• The Ordinary Sun Cream
• Niacinamide Powder
• L-Ascorbic Acid Powder
• NIOD CAIL Copper Amino Isolate Lipid

The Ordinary & NIOD PAO

I have an Ascorbyl Glucoside from over a year ago, and it says 12M but my latest Ascorbyl Glucoside says 6M.

The Ordinary Peptides PAO Period After Opening

Multi-Peptide Serum + HA Matrixyl Argireline	12M 12M 12M
Multi-Peptide Eye Serum Buffet + Copper Peptides	6M 6M

The Ordinary Acids PAO Period After Opening

Glycolic Acid AHA 30% Lactic Acid 10% Lactic Acid 5% Mandelic Acid Azelaic Acid Salicylic Acid 2%	12M 12M 12M 12M 12M 12M 12M
Salicylic Acid Anhydrous Salicylic Acid Masque	6M 6M

The Ordinary Oils & Hydrators PAO Period After Opening

Natural Moisturising Factors. + HA NMF + PhytoCeramides Hyaluronic Acid Marine Hyaluronics Amino Acids	12M 12M 12M 12M 12M
Squalane Oil  Rose Hip Seed Oil Hemi Squalane Borage Seed Oil Chia Seed Oil  B Oil Sea-Buckthorn Fruit Oil	6M 6M 6M 6M 6M 6M 6M

The Ordinary Retinol & Retinoid PAO

These should be refrigerated, so before you buy any of these, think! Will you go to the fridge, put the product on and then put it back in the fridge?

Retinol 1% in Squalane Retinol 0.2% in Squalane Retiol 0.5% in Squalane Granactive Retinoid 2% Retinoid 2% in Squalane Retinoid 5% in Squalane

3M 3M 3M 3M 3M 3M

The Ordinary More Molecules PAO

Aloe 2% + NAG 2% Niacinamide 10% Alpha Arbutin Caffeine Solution	12M 12M 12M 12M
Niacinamide Powder	6M

The Ordinary Antioxidants PAO

EUK 134 Pycnogenol Resveratrol & Ferulic Acid

6M 6M 6M

The Ordinary Vitamin C PAO Period After Opening

Vitamin C 23% Vitamin C 30% Ascorbyl Glucoside Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Solution Ethylated Ascorbic Acid 15% Solution Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2% 100% L-Ascorbic Acid Powder Ethylated Ascorbic Acid 15%

6M 6M 6M 6M 6M 6M 6M 6M

The Ordinary Cleansers, Hair Care & Primers PAO

Multi-Peptide Lash Serum Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density Natural Moisturizing Factors for Scalp Sulphate 4% Cleanser for Body and Hair Behentrimonium Chloride 2% Conditioner	6M 12M 12M 12M 12M
Squalane Cleanser Glucoside Foaming Cleanser Glycolipid Cream Cleanser High-Adherence Silicone Primer High-Spreadability Primer	6M 12M 12M 12M 12M

NIOD PAO Period After Opening

All NIOD products say 6M so they should be used within 6 months of opening. I find some of the masques do go a bit crusty once they pass the 6 month period.

NIOD CAIL See Expiry Date NIOD SDSM NIOD LVCE NIOD SS NIOD CAIS 2:1 NIOD MMHC2 NIOD FECC NIOD LBLC NIOD NEC NIOD FM NIOD RP NIOD NAAP NIOD ELAN NIOD S0 NIOD S10 NIOD S20 NIOD S30 NIOD PF 8% NIOD PF12%

6M 6M 6M 6M 6M 6M 6M 6M 6M 6M 6M 6M 6M 6M 6M 6M 6M 6M 6M

Does everyone stick to the PAO?

I asked this question on Instagram Stories and here are the results! 65% of people do not stick to the period after opening.

What is the shelf life of The Ordinary & NIOD unopened?

Deciem say the shelf life of the brands (unopened) are as follows;

• The Ordinary products – 3 years
• NIOD is between 18 and 24 months

Copper Peptides – From personal experience, I would advise you to use them as soon as possible as we have found they turn black rather than stay the gorgeous blue if you store them for too long.

How long does a bottle of The Ordinary last?

If you use a 30ml bottle at least once every day, then you´re probably looking at around 3/4 months. But if you have numerous products on the go and only use them once or twice a week, you will probably find that you go over the PAO. When it comes to buying masks, particularly the NIOD masques, I recommend purchasing smaller-sized products where possible if you are only going to use them once or twice a week. I asked the Deciem Addicts on Instagram how long a bottle of The Ordinary lasted them, and here are all their answers.

Some Tips

• Write on the bottle or box the date you opened the product.
• Don’t have too many products open at once.
• Retinol & Retinoids now need to be kept in the fridge and have a PAO of 3 months.
• Wipe the neck of the bottles after using them. Some products can get quite gloopy, particularly the oils and the caffeine solution.
• NIOD Masques – I would advise buying the smaller sizes to be sure you use them up in time.
• Don´t stock up on Copper Peptide products just because they’re on sale! We have found they don´t stay the gorgeous blue if stored too long.

The Ordinary & NIOD Guides

• How To Layer The Ordinary
• The Ordinary Conflicts
• Regimens/Routines
• NIOD Beginner´s Guide