Shelf life of finished product when using ingredient with limited shelf life
Asked by: bebee.workroom
On: April 23, 2019
Product Type:
Cosmetics
Question
I have purchased Refined Shea Butter which states a shelf life of 180 days. If I use this in my finished product formulation, does that mean the finished product will also only have a shelf life of 180 days?
Answer
Regarding the 180-day shelf life of Refined Shea Butter and its effect on your finished product:
- The 180-day shelf life typically refers to the recommended storage life of the Shea Butter ingredient itself, under proper storage conditions (usually unopened and stored correctly), before it is incorporated into a formulation.
- Once you use the Shea Butter as an ingredient in your own product, the shelf life of your finished product is determined by the stability of the entire formulation, not just the shelf life of one ingredient.
- Many factors influence the final product's shelf life, including all the ingredients used, the manufacturing process, the packaging, and how the finished product is stored by the user.
- To determine the actual shelf life of your finished product, you would typically need to perform stability testing on that specific formulation.
Therefore, the 180-day shelf life of the Refined Shea Butter ingredient does not automatically mean your finished product will also only last 180 days. The finished product's shelf life needs to be assessed based on its complete formulation.