Oral care involves systematic brushing of teeth with a special paste, the choice of which is based on a number of characteristics. Usually each family member has his own toothpaste. Therefore, several tubes are often used in daily use. But if you neglect the basic storage rules, the properties of the cleaning product can quickly fade away. Now we will try to figure out how to store toothpaste so that it retains its quality for as long as possible.
What does exp mean?
BESTBY or USE BY ('better to use before...'). After the letters the end date of the product's life is indicated. Exp on the package means the expiration date. It is also EXPIRYDATE ('expiring date').
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Does he exist?
Without exception, all toothpastes are mixtures of chemical compounds, so chemical reactions .
In this regard, the product has a limited period of consumption.
Among the factors influencing the determination of this indicator are the quality of the starting components, composition and storage conditions.
So, if production technology is violated, life of the product is reduced .
Various pastes are characterized by similarities in the basic principles of production, in particular they contain :
- substances to combat caries (either calcium or fluoride);
- abrasives based on silicon compounds ;
- antibacterial substances , incl. natural origin (triclosan, soda, propolis, herbal extracts, etc.);
Expiration dates for popular manufacturers
With the development of modern technologies, in many cases it has been possible to increase the shelf life , which previously did not exceed 12 months.
Popular manufacturers state the following terms (from the date of manufacture):
- for the brands Colgate (Colgate), Blend-a-Med (Blendamed), Lacalut (Lakalyut), Aquafresh (Aquafresh) and New Pearl - 3 years ;
- for Splat – 2 years .
Find out how to determine the expiration date of cosmetics using the batch code here.
What to do with expired toothpaste
Gel toothpaste should be thrown away, its composition completely deteriorates and is unsuitable for further use, and thrifty housewives can use regular opaque toothpaste for household work:
- Cleaning taps, mixers and plugs
in bathroom sinks. Toothpaste contains tiny natural abrasives, such as silica, that make metal surfaces shine. - Removing odor from hands
. Toothpaste contains ingredients that are used to freshen breath and remove bad breath. This can be used if you need to remove the unpleasant smell of fish, gasoline, etc. from your hands. - Removing marker from surfaces
. If there is a child in the house, he often leaves traces of felt-tip pens or markers on glass, mirrors, and cabinet furniture. Toothpaste can clean such stains: use a little toothpaste and a soft brush or microfiber cloth. - Cleaning the iron
. Sometimes a resinous residue remains on the soleplate of the iron, which accumulates over time and interferes with high-quality ironing. The abrasive composition of the paste will help cope with this, polish and clean the working surface of the iron. - Cleaning white shoes
. With a soft brush and a little toothpaste, your light-colored shoes will look clean and refreshed.
What do we use and how?
Baby shampoo.
Particularly good for fine or unruly hair. Children's hair is weaker and thinner than adults, so all hair wash products contain nutrients that strengthen hair and make combing easier. Manufacturers have a number of requirements for baby shampoo: it must be made with a mild detergent base, clean the hair well, but not dry out the child’s skin, and make hair easier to comb. A quality tear-free shampoo uses mild detergent ingredients that are mixed using a specific technology.
Of course, you shouldn’t expect a super effect from baby shampoo - it will provide you with an excellent gentle wash, but nothing more: use special products to create volume, shine and other details of your hairstyle.
Baby shampoo can also be used as a bubble bath or body wash.
Napkins.
They can be wet or oily. Wet wipes clean and moisturize the skin. Many women use them to remove makeup - alcohol-free wipes perfectly remove impurities and the skin begins to breathe. Very convenient in hiking conditions.
Bath foam.
Helps cleanse and soften skin when bathing. Bath foams with natural herbal extracts (chamomile, string, calendula, etc.) relieve irritation, soothe the skin, and soften the water. After this procedure, your skin will be soft and silky: the formula of the detergent for children's skin is particularly soft.
Baby oil.
Applied to dry skin
the oil prevents skin dehydration and reduces friction, has softening properties.
When applied to damp skin
, the oil retains 10 times more moisture than conventional lotions and creams. Quickly absorbed.
Cosmetic milk.
Apply to the skin after water procedures and protect against drying out. Used similarly to the adult product.
Powder.
Unfortunately, prickly heat occurs not only in children; overweight people also suffer from it. We use the powder in the same way as cosmetic talcum powder: lightly sprinkle the powder into areas of unwanted sweating (under the breasts, in the groin folds), and you can get rid of chafing, redness, and irritation of the skin.
Baby cream.
All baby creams are divided into moisturizers, which are used after water procedures, anti-inflammatory for irritated skin, and protective (protect against moisture loss or adverse weather conditions: frost, wind or sun).
Creams may contain various additives that give them additional properties. Some companies offer creams that can normalize subcutaneous blood circulation, have an anti-inflammatory, moisturizing and restorative effect, and prevent dehydration.
It is worth mentioning another important property of using children's cosmetics: one product for two will help you become even closer to your baby on an emotional level.
Many Soviet actresses admitted that they used only baby cream all their lives. And there are stars abroad who prefer children's cosmetics. What is this? Is it just a whim or is cosmetics for children also suitable for women? Can adults use children's cosmetics? Let's figure it out.
Why cosmetics for children are also suitable for adults
Firstly, in our childhood there is no such abundance of cosmetics. All of them are designed for gentle care of delicate skin. Of course, in our childhood there were a lot of toys and sweets. But the soap that our mothers and grandmothers washed us with cannot be compared.
Today in the children's cosmetics department our eyes are wide open. Everything is bright and fragrant. And today you can buy them in the form of different animals and different colors. I just want to lather myself with a piece of such fragrant soap. It turns out that we didn’t play enough in our childhood.
Secondly, cosmetics for children are made of better quality. Such cosmetics must undergo certification and quality control. Exclusively all cosmetics for children do not cause allergic reactions. And all this thanks to the natural components that it contains. There are no artificial ingredients in such cosmetics. And the detergent components must be pH neutral. That is why cosmetics will never cause an allergic reaction in women with sensitive skin and children.
Children's bath foam smells pleasant, and the resulting foam lasts much longer than the same product, but for adults. And the foam will never cause irritation. It will soften the skin and relieve inflammation. If there is a child in the house, then by choosing one children's product you can save money and not buy foam for adults.
Proper storage conditions
For unopened packaging, the rules are specified in GOST 7983-99.
Standard requirements for the conditions for keeping toothpaste include a temperature range from 0 to +25°C, protection from direct sunlight and location away from heating devices.
It is not recommended to store tubes that you will not use in the near future in the bathroom.
The tube cap should be tightly closed to avoid unnecessary contact with air, and to minimize it, it is recommended that the tube be kept in a vertical position with the cap down.
If these conditions are met, the shelf life for a sealed tube will be from two to three years .
In our article you will find information about decoding product barcodes.
By unsealing the tube cap, you can count on maintaining the characteristics of the paste for two to six months , and for children - no more than one month.
Storage after opening the tube
Storing the paste in the bathroom will be more reliable if you place it vertically, with the tip of the tube down. This minimizes the interaction between the contents of the tube and the air. This storage method will somewhat slow down the oxidation process.
- It is more correct to store tubes of paste in a special closed cabinet designed for the bathroom.
- Do not forget to screw the tube cap tightly after each use of the paste, otherwise the harmful effects of oxygen on the cleaning product cannot be avoided. And if, before using the product, it turns out that the tube was not closed tightly, it is better to squeeze out the upper part and throw it away.
- After opening the tube, the composition should not be stored longer than 2 - 6 months, and for children's paste this time is reduced to 1 month.
- Most often, manufacturers indicate expiration dates for toothpastes after opening. To make it easier to find, there is an image of an open jar on the product box.
4) COMPOSITION PRO-EXPERT ALL IN ONE BLENDAMED
CARIES- TOOTH CALCULUS
- GUM
- BACTERIA
- SENSITIVITY
- DARK RAID
- BREATH
With regular cleaning it helps:
- Strengthen tooth enamel
- Protect your gums
- Protect against tooth sensitivity
COMPOSITION ALL IN ONE PRO-EXPERT BLENDAMED: Aqua, Sorbitol, Hydrated Silica, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Cellulose Gum, Aroma, Sodium Gluconate, Stannous Chloride, Carrageenan, CI 77891, Zinc Citrate, Hydroxythylcellulose, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Saccharin, Sodium Fluoride, Phytic Acid/Inositol Phosphate, Phosphoric Acid, Silica, Eugenol, Limonene.
Contains sodium fluorite (0.321%). Total fluoride content: 1450 ppm. Made in Germany
Common Myths
You can determine the expiration date of a toothpaste by looking at the colored stripe on the seam of the tube. The bar won't actually give you the answer. Many also believe that the color of the strip depends on the composition of the product and will tell about its quality, for example:
- green is used to identify herbal cleanser;
- blue indicates a natural product with mineral components;
- red indicates the medicinal properties of the product;
- black identifies the chemical base.
In fact, the color of the strip has nothing to do with the quality of the paste. It is used to identify the tube when distributing different types of product in automated plants. (See the video about the origin of the strips at the end of the article.)
Accordingly, the correct choice of a suitable product for cleaning your teeth can be made only by studying the composition and permissible shelf life, making sure in the store that they have not been exceeded on the date of purchase.
Changes in the taste or color of the product are also not related to the length of its storage. After removing the protective foil, the cleaning agent begins to come into contact with oxygen.
A change in the color, smell or taste of the cleaning mass warns a person that the process of its destruction has begun. She is no longer able to cope with her task efficiently. Brushing your teeth with such a product, at best, does not ensure the destruction of bacteria and the prevention of caries. Moreover, low-quality chemical compounds, when destroyed, can turn into hazardous substances.
The manufacturer does not indicate the expiration date of the toothpaste after opening the package. Each tube has an icon in the form of a round jar with an open lid. The icon must include a number and the letter M. In a similar way, the manufacturer indicates the maximum permissible period for using the product after opening. The numbers correspond to the number of months during which the cleaning product remains resistant to the damaging effects of oxygen. The absence of a special mark may mean that the product has not passed the appropriate certification.
If you take a serious approach to choosing a substance for cleaning your teeth, you need to pay due attention to the rules for storing the product. Only a high-quality product can achieve the desired result.
If you care about hygiene,
Signs of product spoilage
The appearance of the paste will tell you about them. These signs include :
- change of original color;
- complete or partial drying ;
- thickening of the composition , making it difficult to use the paste;
- disintegration into individual elements;
- the appearance of traces of corrosion on the tube.
Read here how long it takes to get your money back for an item.
When brushing your teeth, you may find that the original taste has also changed , then it is also not recommended to use the product for its intended purpose.
