# Expired shampoo?



## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

I was dumpster diving and came up with 9 large size Head and Shoulders shampoo that a local SDM had dumped, cause they were a month past their 'best before' date. 

I use this stuff, and the bottle I was on was getting low, so nice timing. 
Figure this find saved me at least $60. We will likely use this find up in under 3 years.

I have never even considered shampoo having and expiry date. 
Maybe the ones claiming all sorts of natural botanical admixtures.
But Head and Shoulders? - The admixture here is inorganic. 

Has anyone else actually tossed shampoos they have at home, because they were past their 'best by' date?


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## cainvest (May 1, 2013)

Ponderling said:


> Has anyone else actually tossed shampoos they have at home, because they were past their 'best by' date?


Nope ... didn't even know they had a date on them.


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## Money172375 (Jun 29, 2018)

cainvest said:


> Nope ... didn't even know they had a date on them.


I believe H and S has some medicinal ingredients……maybe that’s the reason for the expiry date. I know toothpaste has an expiry date too. Usually imprinted on the seam at the bottoms of the tube.


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## HappilyRetired (Nov 14, 2021)

One of my friends has had the same container of shampoo at their 3-season cabin for about 10 years. They're on a septic system so they rarely shower if they are only there just for the weekend to avoid filling the tank. Not only is it expired, it stays there in the winter and goes through freeze thaw cycles. So far their hair hasn't fallen out.


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## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

Ponderling said:


> I was dumpster diving and came up with 9 large size Head and Shoulders shampoo that a local SDM had dumped, cause they were a month past their 'best before' date.
> 
> I use this stuff, and the bottle I was on was getting low, so nice timing.
> Figure this find saved me at least $60. We will likely use this find up in under 3 years.
> ...


 ...yes, if it "smells" off which is usually the case with "lotions" which has oil in them. Otherwise no, even it's years past its expiry date. In your case, what's the worst that can happen, the dandruff formulation of H& S won't work? 9 large size bottles hold quite abit - good for at least 9 months at a rate of 1 per month.


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

Shampoo does go bad. If it looks like it has separated, clumped, or smells off, then toss it.


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## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

^ I think you can get around the seperation, if not the clumping by shaking the bottle to re-mix. Happens with my liquid hand soap.

As for the smell-off, that's goes to the trash.


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## nobleea (Oct 11, 2013)

The expiry date determines when the manufacturer thinks the medicinal components will drop below some effectiveness. Same for pills and medicines. Not like they won't work or make you sick, they just won't work as well.


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

Thanks for the replies. I am aware of the ability of the oils to go rancid. 

I have in the past made my own soap. In the calculation for the amount of sodium hydroxide needed per weight of each oil, I have found you always needed a tiny bit more than calculations to counter the often citric acid that is added to a lot of oils to shift their stock on the shelf pH, to make them less likely to go rancid.


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## TomB16 (Jun 8, 2014)

Ponderling said:


> I was dumpster diving and...


If there is a better opening line to a post, I do not know what it might be.

Shampoo can go bad and get into a condition that should not be used but I've never known unopened bottles to go bad. I would smell it and use it, unless your sinus catches fire when you inhale.

As I understand it, shampoo goes bad when you put too much into your hand and then return some to the bottle. Now it has skin oil mixed into the shampoo that will culture bacteria. It can get to the point the liquid will discolour and change viscosity.


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## TomB16 (Jun 8, 2014)

nobleea said:


> The expiry date determines when the manufacturer thinks the medicinal components will drop below some effectiveness. Same for pills and medicines. Not like they won't work or make you sick, they just won't work as well.


My understanding is that some of these expired medications are disposed of by giving to charitable foreign poverty health care programs.


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## Zipper (Nov 18, 2015)

When you are diving are expired hamburger and hotdogs still OK if they just have a tinge of green?


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## TomB16 (Jun 8, 2014)

Zipper said:


> When you are diving is expired hamburger and hotdogs still OK with just a touch of green?


I consider the CostCo hot dog to be dumpster diving and I eat mine with relish, so I'd say go ahead....


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

Most over the counter


nobleea said:


> The expiry date determines when the manufacturer thinks the medicinal components will drop below some effectiveness. Same for pills and medicines. Not like they won't work or make you sick, they just won't work as well.


It's typically what they have validated their products to. After a certain point they are not going to bother certifying for longer life, as it is not in their financial interest to incur the expense. Does not mean it is bad after the expiry.


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

TomB16 said:


> If there is a better opening line to a post, I do not know what it might be.


Hey, I don't talk about the Yamaha HTR av 5.1 receiver that I revived and happily is the Av receiver in our main TV setup. It came from a dumpster dive complete with remote. 
It did take disassembly and the main board got bake in the oven and cool overnight, but that brought it back to life. 

This time it was about is this really fringe or do all folks look at the date on their shampoo bottles.


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

Ponderling said:


> This time it was about is this really fringe or do all folks look at the date on their shampoo bottles.


I normally don’t worry about best before dates on any thing. However, I have had shampoo expire. I brought some out to my cabin when the kids were little. The shampoo was probably old anyways but worked. We don't go very often, so don't use much. As the got older, kids switched brands. Last time, I forgot to bring shampoo, when to use the old one, and it was a little 'funky'. It came out like water, totally separated, didn't 'feel' like shampoo. I dumped some more out, and saw the little 'fat' chunks. Checked the bottle, best before was 2006. I also noticed the dish soap Dawn at the cabin, did something similar, brought out similar time. 

Also, my good friend also told me his shampoo expired. He bought a large bottle when he had hair. I accidently shaved off his hair, right around the time he opened the bottle. His hair didn't really ever grow back, and he was only using a few drops of shampoo. He told me that he noticed something off on his bottle, it had a funky smell, and was starting to make his head itch and tingle in a not a good way. That was about 8/9 years after the accidental shaving.


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

Beaver101 said:


> ^ I think you can get around the seperation, if not the clumping by shaking the bottle to re-mix. Happens with my liquid hand soap.
> 
> As for the smell-off, that's goes to the trash.


There is a point where if left long enough, and it's chunky, no amount of shaking will remix. Not the same as the soap you described.


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

nobleea said:


> The expiry date determines when the manufacturer thinks the medicinal components will drop below some effectiveness. Same for pills and medicines. Not like they won't work or make you sick, they just won't work as well.


I can't find the study, but there was an article that described how a whole of medication was found from one of the world wars perfectly seal. Over 75 years, at the time of the discovery. After extensive test, they said that the medications were fine just a little less effective. It did say though, the meds that were fine were the hard pills. There was a cautionary warning that if there was anything wet like gel enclosures, or liquids/oil, the result were not the same.


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## Tostig (Nov 18, 2020)

Expired shampoo may reduce the risk of infertility and low sperm count.


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## TomB16 (Jun 8, 2014)

Tostig said:


> Expired shampoo may reduce the risk of infertility and low sperm count.


What are you shampooing?  

It may also increase the risk of profanity when first squirted into hand.


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## Tostig (Nov 18, 2020)

Shampoo link to male infertility


A common chemical, used in everything from shampoo to plastics, may be causing <b>infertility</b> in unborn baby boys, it has emerged. <i>Are you putting your baby at risk?</i>




www.dailymail.co.uk


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