When I first started dabbing my toes into beauty, I kept buying and buying without realizing how important it is to keep track of all the product’s expiry date. As time goes by, I started doing research on how to read the codes on the products as not all products stated its manufacturing date or even expiry date on the bottle or box. I find it a bit dodgy that brands prefer to put some mysterious code that no one but only them will understand what it meant. Then I found Check Cosmetics. I first written a post on Check Cosmetics back in 2011. So this is like a newer version to the old post 😀

Check Cosmetics is an online beauty code analyzer. Basically all you need to do is to just enter the product batch code into the calculator and it will tell you when it was manufactured and the estimated expiry date.

Check Cosmetics works on cosmetics, skincare and fragrance. However there are limitation in terms of the brand listed. And changes may took place without you even realizing it. According to the site, the brands supported by this calculator are as below (as at 8th November 2016). Definitely an extensive growth to when I first blog about it back in 2011.

Adidas, Adolfo Dominguez, Aerin, Aesop, Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, Ahava, Alessandro Dell’Acqua, Alpha Hydrox, Alfred Sung, American Beauty, Amway, Angel Schlesser, Anna Lotan, Anna Sui, Annick Goutal, Antonio Banderas Fragrances, Aramis, Argital, Armand Basi, Artistry, Aquolina, Arnaud, Aura Cacia, Avalon Organics, Aussie, Aveda, Aveeno, Avon, Axe, Azzaro, Badgley Mischka, Banana Boat, Bare Escentuals, Bath & Body Works, Baldessarini, Balenciaga, Balmain, BCBGMAXAZRIA, Beautycycle, Babe Laboratorios, Benefit Cosmetics, Beyonce, Bioderma, Biosilk, Biotherm, Bliss, Blumarine, Bob Mackie, Bobbi Brown, Bottega Veneta, Borghese, Boucheron, Bourjois, Brelil, Britney Spears, Bruno Banani, Brylcreem, Bubchen, Bumble and bumble, Burberry, Burt’s bees, Bvlgari, CAC, Cacharel, Camay, Canmake, Carmex, Carolina Herrera, Caron, Cartier, Calvin Klein, Celine Dion, Cerruti, Cetaphil, Chanel, Cezanne, Charmzone, CHI, Chicco, Chloe, Chopard, Christian Dior, Christina, Christina Aguilera, Clairol Professional, Clarins, Clean & Clear, Clinique, Coach Fragrances, Coffret D’or, Collistar, Comme des Garcons, Coppertone, Cosme Decorte, Covergirl, Crabtree & Evelyn, Creed, Custo Barcelona, Cyclax, Davidoff, David Beckham, DDF, DHC, Darphin, Diesel, Dolce & Gabbana, Donald Trump Fragrances, Donna Karan, Dove, Dr.Ci:Labo, Dr.Hauschka, Dr.Jart+, DSQUARED2, Dunhill, e.l.f. (Eyes Lips Face), Elemis, Elite Models, Elizabeth Arden, Elizabeth Taylor, Emilio Pucci, Everyday Minerals, Escada, Esprit, Essence, Estee Lauder, Faces Cosmetics, Faconnable, Faith Hill, Fekkai, Fendi, Ferragamo, Fissan, Flirt!, Fresh, Fruit of the Earth, Gai Mattiolo, GA-DE Cosmetics, Gap, Garnier, Gehwol, Geoffrey Beene, Gianfranco Ferre, Giorgio Armani, Giorgio Beverly Hills, Giovanni Cosmetics, Givenchy, Gloria Vanderbilt, Goldwell, Good Skin, Green People, Guess, Gucci, Guerlain, Guinot, Guy Laroche, H2O+, Halle Berry, Halston, Head & Shoulders, Helena Rubinstein, Herbacin, Herbal Essences, Hermes, Hipitch, Hugo Boss, Impress, Inglot, Isabella Rossellini, IsaDora, Issey Miyake, It Cosmetics, Jacques Bogart, Jane Iredale, Jessica Simpson, Jason, Janssen Cosmeceutical, JC de Castelbajac, Jean Paul Gaultier, Jesus Del Pozo, Jil Sander, Jill Stuart, Jimmy Choo, Jo Malone, Joe Blasco, John Masters Organics, Joop!, Jovan, Juicy Couture, JUJU, Justin Bieber, Kanebo, Kaaral, Karl Lagerfeld, Kenneth Cole, Kenzo, Kenzoki, Kerastase, Kiehl’s, Kiton, Korff, Korres, Kose, L’Artisan Parfumeur, L’Oreal, La Colline, La Mer, La Prairie, La Roche-Posay, Lab Series, Lacoste, Lalique, Lancaster, Lancome, Lanvin, Laura Biagiotti, Laura Mercier, Lee Stafford, Lierac, Lime Crime, Lirene, Liz Claiborne, Lunasol, Lux, Lolita Lempicka, MAC, Macadamia, Make Up Factory, Make Up For Ever, Mandarina Duck, Mariah Carey, Marc Ecko, Marc Jacobs, Marni, Mary Cohr, Mary Kay, Masaki Matsushima, Matis, Matrix, Mavala, Max Factor, Maybelline, MD Formulations, Mentholatum, Methode Jeanne Piaubert, Michael Kors, Milbon, Missha, Missoni, Mizon, Molton Brown, Mont Blanc, Moschino, Murad, Narciso Rodriguez, NARS, NYX, NailTek, Naomi Campbell, Natori, Natura Bisse, Natural Instincts, Nautica, Neutrogena, Nice ‘n Easy, Nicki Minaj, Nikos, Nina Ricci, Nioxin, Nivea, Nu Skin, Nutrilite, Nuxe, Ojon, Olay, OPI, Oriflame, Origins, Orlane, Orofluido, Osiao, Paco Rabanne, Palmer’s, Paloma Picasso, Pantene, Paris Hilton, Paul Mitchell, Paul Smith, Payot, Pert, Peter Thomas Roth, Philosophy, Phyto, Pierre Cardin, Pond’s, Prada, Prescriptives, Puma, Pupa, Queen Helene, Queen Latifah, Radox, Ralph Lauren, Redken, Rejoice, REN, RevitaLash, Revlon, Rexona, Rihanna, Rimmel, Roberto Cavalli, Roberto Verino, RoC, Rodan and Fields, Rossmann, S.T. Dupont, SK-II, Safeguard, Salerm, Sanoflore, Sans Soucis, Sarah Jessica Parker, Schwarzkopf, Sean John, Sebastian Professional, Sephora, Serge Lutens, Shakira, Shu Uemura, Sibu Beauty, Simple, Sisley, Smashbox, Skin79, SkinCeuticals, Skinfood, Slava Zaitsev, Sleek MakeUP, Sofina, Sonia Rykiel, St Ives, St. Tropez, Stella McCartney, Stila, StriVectin, Styx, Sunsilk, Swarovski, Syoss, Talika, Taylor Swift, Ted Lapidus, Thalgo, The Face Shop, Thierry Mugler, Tigi, Tom Ford Beauty, Tom Tailor, Tommy Hilfiger, Tony Moly, Too Faced, Tory Burch, Tous, TRESemme, True Religion, Trussardi, Ungaro, Urban Decay, Uriage, Usher, Valentino, Van Cleef & Arpels, Vaseline, Venus, Vera Wang, Vichy, Victoria’s Secret, Victorio & Lucchino, Vidal Sassoon, Viktor & Rolf, Vivienne Westwood, Versace, VO5, Wella, Yves Rocher, Yves Saint Laurent, Zara, Zirh.

Read From The Product If You Can

I love Estee Lauder Companies. They have expiry date sticker on all the boxes for all their brands and batch codes on the product bottle as well. Their codes are simple to read so even if they missed the sticker on the box, you can always know from the batch code.

For example:
Batch code A13. The middle code represent the month. 1-9 means January to September. Double digit month are replaced with alphabet. A for October, B for November and C for December.
The 3rd code represent the year.

And if you are too lazy to even bother to decipher the code, use Check Cosmetics calculator!

First step. Go to http://checkcosmetic.net/.

Second step. Select the brand or if you are lazy to scroll, search for the brand in the search box. Key-in the batch code and click Calculate.

The result is shown at the same panel. Super easy, right? ?

This works well on the mobile too and it is useful when Sephora is having some sort of clearance as usually, magically the manufacturing date sticker disappeared 😛

Let me know if you have tried it and if it is as useful to you as it is to me 😉