What are the common misunderstandings about storing cosmetics?

This answer is a draft. It stays unpublished until legal review and source verification are complete.

How to store cosmetics is debated around the world, and it is one of the points where household habits differ most. Cosmetics sold in Japan often carry no expiry date, which puzzles many newcomers. Once you know the Japanese rules, the basis for deciding becomes clear.

Under Japan's Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act (the country's cosmetics and drugs law), an expiry date is not required except on cosmetics that could deteriorate within 3 years of manufacture. So a product with no date printed is, by design, one that "keeps its quality unopened for 3 years if stored properly."

Rather than chilling, the surer thing is that "proper storage": keeping the product away from direct sunlight, heat and humidity. Always follow the storage instructions on each product's label.

How the rules work｜Three types that must carry a date

Under a 1980 (Shōwa 55) notice of the then Ministry of Health and Welfare, the following cosmetics must show an expiry date:

1. Those containing ascorbic acid (vitamin C) or its esters or salts 2. Those containing enzymes 3. Those at risk of changing in character or quality within 3 years of manufacture or import under proper storage conditions

[Verify] Several specialist websites present the above as a summary based on Article 61 of the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act and the 1980 Ministry of Health and Welfare notice. Before publication, confirm against the Japan Cosmetic Industry Association's Cosmetics Q&A and the original legal texts.

Misunderstanding 1｜In the fridge it is safe

Chilling a product that is not labelled for refrigeration can change its emulsion or make ingredients separate out as crystals. Refrigerate only products whose labels say to.

Misunderstanding 2｜It does not matter how often you take it in and out

Each time it comes out of the fridge, it meets a temperature change and condensation. "In and out repeatedly" is a harsher condition than "kept cold throughout."

Misunderstanding 3｜The bathroom is a good place to store cosmetics

In a Japanese home, the washbasin area (洗面所, senmenjo) and the bathroom have both humidity and temperature swings. They are in fact unsuitable. A dry place out of the sun is the basic choice.

Misunderstanding 4｜No expiry date means it lasts indefinitely

"Not printed" and "indefinite" are two different things. The 3-year assumption applies to unopened products.

Misunderstanding 5｜Once opened, it still lasts as long as the label says

Once opened, the product is exposed to air and to your hands. Use it up promptly regardless of the label. As a general guide, the industry advises using products up within a few months to a year of opening.

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Sources

• Japan Cosmetic Industry Association (JCIA) [日本化粧品工業会], "Cosmetics Q&A" [化粧品Q&A]

https://www.jcia.org/user/public/faq

• Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, "Cosmetics and quasi-drugs" web page [化粧品・医薬部外品等ホームページ] (quasi-drugs are a Japanese category between cosmetics and medicines)

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/kenkou_iryou/iyakuhin/keshouhin/index.html

• National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan [独立行政法人 国民生活センター] (consumer advice and alerts on cosmetics)

https://www.kokusen.go.jp/

⚠️ Editorial note: the source URLs above were identified by search. Our working environment cannot reach go.jp domains, so the contents have not been checked against the text. Verify every source before publication and record who checked it and when.

About this article

What we share here are ideas and everyday practices passed down among people living in Japan, together with general information drawn from public sources. They are not official recommendations, and they are not professional instruction. Practices vary between households and regions.

This is general information. Results vary from person to person and depend on your own conditions and surroundings.

Please decide for yourself, using your own judgement, whether any of this suits your situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from following this article.

Cosmetics are not medicines and are not meant to diagnose, heal or prevent any condition. If your skin reacts, stop using the product and see a dermatologist.

Sources

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