Type the batch (lot) code printed on the packaging or crimp — also called the batch number, lot number or serial number — and we decode the manufacture date, how old it is, and an expiration estimate. Works for skincare, makeup and fragrance (perfume batch codes have their own page).
Most cosmetics don't print an expiry date — they print a batch code that encodes when the product was made. We decode it with rules documented by the manufacturers themselves (official FAQs, packaging guides, FDA recall lot data) and combine it with the brand's stated shelf life.
Where we can't decode a brand yet, you still get the brand's official shelf-life guidance and how to check the product yourself (printed date, PAO open-jar symbol, texture and smell). Estimates are not a safety guarantee — when in doubt, trust the printed date on the pack.
A batch code, also called a lot number, batch number or production code, is the short stamp of 4 to 10 letters and numbers that a manufacturer prints on every product from one production run. It lets the brand trace and recall that run, and for most brands it encodes the date the product was made. It is never the barcode.
“Cosmetic calculator” is another name for this kind of tool: you pick the brand, type the batch code, and it works out when the product was made and how long it keeps. This page does that for 3,900+ brands, free.
General cosmetics guidance; a date or open-jar symbol on your pack always wins.
Enter it above together with the brand. The lot number, batch number and batch code are the same short code, and the checker decodes it into the production date. A lot number lookup without the brand cannot work: every brand writes its codes differently.
Look for a short stamped code (usually 4–8 characters) — also called the lot number or serial number — on the base of the bottle or jar, the crimp of a tube, or a flap of a boxed fragrance. It is often embossed rather than printed in ink, and is not the barcode.
Most unopened cosmetics and fragrances keep for about 30–36 months from manufacture. Once opened, follow the PAO (open-jar) symbol — e.g. "12M" means 12 months after opening.
Decode the batch code above — it encodes the manufacture date, so you get the production date and the product age. Combined with the brand shelf life, that tells you roughly how long before it expires.
Look for a printed expiry date first, then the PAO open-jar symbol (e.g. 12M = use within 12 months of opening). If neither is there, enter the batch code stamped on the bottle — usually near the cap or on the bottom — to get the manufacture date; unopened haircare typically lasts about 3 years from that date.
On perfume the batch code is a short code printed or etched on the bottom of the bottle and on the box flap, separate from the long EAN barcode. It encodes when that bottle was made; matching codes on the box and bottle are also a sign the two belong together.
No. The barcode is the long striped bar with numbers used at the till. The batch (lot) code is a separate short 4–8 character stamp, often embossed, that encodes the production date.
No. The barcode (EAN/UPC) identifies the product, not the bottle in your hand: every unit of that product carries the same barcode, so it holds no production or expiry date. The date is in the batch (lot) code, the short stamp near it, or printed as an expiry date or a PAO open-jar symbol.
Not on its own. A code that decodes to a sensible date, and matches on the box and the bottle, is a good sign, but counterfeiters copy real codes from genuine packs. Buy from the brand or an authorised retailer, and compare packaging, print and seal with one you know is genuine.
Preservatives and actives degrade over time — expired products can irritate skin or, for sunscreen, fail to protect. Check smell, colour and texture, and when in doubt, throw it out.
Find your brand and jump to its page — with where to find the code and its shelf-life guidance.
Brands with a verified decoder rule:
Browse brands by letter:
Loading the list…
Want the full ingredient breakdown too? Paste the INCI list into the ingredient checker or scan the label on the Scan page. Breakout-prone? Check any list with the fungal acne checker or the pore-clogging checker.
Also in: Español · Português · Bahasa Indonesia · Türkçe · Русский · Tiếng Việt · العربية
Make us a preferred source
Google will then show Skincarisma more often in your results.
Added — thank you. You can undo it any time in your Google settings.
Keep this checker one search away
Make Skincarisma a preferred source and Google shows us more often in your results.
Added — thank you. You can undo it any time in your Google settings.