What does the open jar symbol on a label mean?

The small picture of an open cream jar, with a number and the letter M beside it, is on many packs. This guide explains where it comes from and what it does and does not say.

What the symbol is

It is the period-after-opening symbol, often shortened to PAO. Annex VII of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 lists it as point 2, “Period-after-opening”. UK government guidance on the same rules describes it as a symbol representing an open cream jar, shown together with the period of time in months or years, for example 12 m.

What the EU law says

Article 19 of the regulation covers what must be printed on a cosmetic product. Two dates are involved.

• The date of minimum durability. This is the date until which the product, stored under appropriate conditions, will keep fulfilling its initial function. It is shown with the symbol from point 3 of Annex VII or the words “best used before the end of”.
• The period after opening. A date of minimum durability is not mandatory for products with a minimum durability of more than 30 months. For those products, the regulation requires an indication of how long the product can be used after opening, shown by the point 2 symbol followed by the period in months and/or years.

The period-after-opening indication is not needed where the concept of durability after opening is not relevant. The UK guidance gives examples: single-use products, products not at risk of deterioration, and products that do not open, such as aerosols. The same guidance says the symbol must appear on both the primary container and the outer packaging.

Put simply, a product that lasts more than 30 months unopened must tell you how long it lasts once opened. A product with a shorter life carries a date.

What the U.S. requires

The FDA says there are no U.S. laws or regulations that require cosmetics to have specific shelf lives or to have expiration dates on their labels. It says determining a product’s shelf life is part of the manufacturer’s responsibility. So the open jar symbol is not a U.S. requirement, and whether a U.S. product shows it is up to the maker.

The FDA also says that drugs are different. Some products, such as sunscreens, are drugs under the law and must have expiration dates printed on the label.

What the symbol cannot tell you

• When you opened the pack. The number counts from the day you open it, so you need to remember that date.
• How the product was stored. The FDA says the length of time a product lasts varies with the type of product, how it is used and how it is stored.
• Whether the product has changed. The FDA says that if mascara becomes dry, throw it away, and notes that manufacturers usually recommend discarding mascara two to four months after purchase.

Using it

• Look for the jar and the number on the pack or the outer box.
• Note the date you open the product, for example with a marker on the bottom.
• Poliage has a shelf and expiry feature for keeping track of the products you own. It is a reminder tool, and the pack comes first.

Poliage gives product information, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist if a product causes a reaction.

Where this comes from

The EU rule comes from Article 19(1)(c) and Annex VII of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. The description of the symbol and where it must appear comes from UK government guidance on the same regulation. The U.S. position comes from the FDA page on shelf life and expiration dating of cosmetics.