- Buffet 12M
- Buffet + Copper Peptides 6M
- Matrixyl 12M
- Argireline 12M
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 the 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 Deciem products have expiry dates.
- The Ordinary Sun Cream
- Niacinamide Powder
- L-Ascorbic Acid Powder
- NIOD CAIL Copper Amino Isolate Lipid
- There may be some others
The Ordinary & NIOD PAO
Below are some of the products I currently own, and I have added the PAO for you to see. Please be aware that Deciem updates the formulas regularly, so your PAO may differ depending on when you purchased it.
I have an Ascorbyl Glucoside from over a year ago, and it says 12M. My latest one 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
The Ordinary Retinol & Retinoid PAO
These should be refrigerated.
| 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
The Ordinary Antioxidants PAO
The Ordinary Vitamin C PAO Period After Opening
The Ordinary Cleansers, Hair Care & Primers PAO
NIOD PAO Period After Opening
All NIOD products say 6M so should be used within 6 months of opening
| 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 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.
