Hair spray lasts forever in your hair draw, right?
Does hairspray expire? Will it still be safe to use on your hair, or should you chuck it in the bin?
Hairspray that hasn’t been opened yet, will last on average around 3 years. However, as soon as you break the seal on the spray nozzle, the expiration date will reduce to approximately 18 months.
Hairspray expires due to exposure to the environment is it being stored in such as heated places or extremely cold places, can make it expire quicker. It also can be considered dangerous when storing hairspray in extreme temperatures as can cause the product to explode.
How Can You Tell If Your Hairspray Has Gone Bad?
One of the main signs your hairspray is out of date or gone bad is the mark of the date on the bottle i.e 6m or 12m.
Once it is opened it will spoil within 3 years, they may also have an expiry date on some products this all depends on the individual brand, as it is not required for hair products to show the expiry date.
It’s clear the product will go bad more quickly after it’s been opened. This applies to both aerosol spray cans and non-aerosol hairspray products.
The second sign your hairspray has gone bad is the product losing its ability to hold your hair in place – it’s not working anymore. Therefore there is no danger in using this on your hair, it’s just not going to do its job.
It’s clear that nothing has the capacity to give you a bad hair day like a hair spray that’s gone bad. One of the good things is, that hairspray doesn’t go gross or separated like shampoo or conditioner can when these products spoil.
The hairsprays fragrance will also start to fade, it will not turn into a rancid smell like most expired products it will simply lose its normal fresh odour.
According to the experts, if your hairspray has changed colours it’s still safe to use. If you’ve noticed any chunks, clumps, or other strange textures forming in the can, it’s time to toss it.
Why Does Hairspray Expire?
There are a few reasons as to why your hairspray may expire or may go bad quicker than you imagined.
The first reason is the product will instantly come into contact with the open air and your hands or skin once it has been opened and this is where it is likely to collect bacteria that will break down the ingredients causing it to expire.
Unfortunately, currently, there is no law requiring hair products to show an expiry date displayed, so therefore this confuses people using hair products as they think they must not go out of date.
What some brands do is right how long they feel it should be used for one open such as 6m, 12m or 24m (will tell you how many months you can use it for).
It is clear that unopened products are considered to be safe to use for up to 3 years as long as it is stored at the correct temperature, such as in a cool dark place.
This expiry time frame decreases to 18 months once the product has been opened and exposed to light, air, heat, body heat and contact so bear that in mind if you have a product that you only use sparingly because it cost so much.
Can You Use Expired Hairspray?
Can you use expired hairspray you ask? Of course. Why not. It isn’t dangerous to use out of date hairspray, it will cause no problems for your scalp or hair.
Firstly it doesnt spoil the same as shampoo and conditioners therefore it’s still ok to use, it will lose its normal fragrance and just won’t work as well as it previously did. It won’t hold your hair like it used to and won’t spray how it should.
Hair ‘sprays’ are meant to spray, but unfortunately, when hairspray goes bad, you may find liquid comes out instead of a spray, when this happens this means it really just needs throwing in the bin and purchasing a new one.
Read Here: Can you use expired coconut oil?
How Can You Extend the Shelf Life of Your Hairspray
Let’s take a look at the most important things you can consider to keep your hairspray in good condition and be sure the shelf life lasts as long as possible.
The temperature you store your hairspray in can reflect how long your product will last. Avoiding extreme temperatures also helps avoid any potential explosive consequences.
You should also consider where you are storing your hairspray, it’s essential it is a well-ventilated space. Just be sure that if you use it in the bathroom, you open a window and make sure that the room is well ventilated so as to prevent the vapours from building up.
Check out our favourite hairspray if you want to purchase yourself a new one, L’Oreal Paris Advanced Hairstyle Lock It Bold Control Hairspray.
Lock It Bold Control Anti-Humidity Hairspray goes on evenly and dries quickly to lock in your hairstyle and lockout frizziness all day long; Just spray to set and go, or layer for a stronger hold.
Conclusion
Hopefully from this guide, you have full knowledge of whether your hairspray is expired or not. It’s clearly no danger to your hair but it’s not ideal to use hairspray which has gone bad as it just won’t work on your hair – and what’s the point in that?
If your hairspray is coming out as a liquid, or the smell has disappeared or it’s been opened for more than 3 years just toss it and buy a new one to be on the safe side.
Be sure to store your hairspray at the correct temperature no extreme heat, cold or hot, open or closed, this will just help to keep your hairspray good for as long as possible.
What did you think of our guide on hairspray expiring? Are there any questions we haven’t answered? Please feel free to contact us as we love to hear from our readers.