UK Titles Editorial
The back of a moisturiser carton can contain several kinds of information in a very small space. A date, an open-jar symbol and a batch code may all look like clues about age, yet each does a different job. The ingredients list answers another question again.
For UK shoppers, reading these details is useful both before buying and when organising products at home. Start with the container and outer packaging together, and keep any enclosed information until you understand how the product is intended to be used.
A best-before date gives a fixed point in the calendar
A cosmetic’s date of minimum durability concerns how long it will continue to fulfil its function and meet the relevant safety requirements when stored appropriately. The government’s Great Britain technical guidance places products with durability of up to and including 30 months within the best-before requirement.
Look for the words “best used before the end of” or an hourglass symbol, followed by the date or a reference to where it appears. Read any storage conditions alongside it. A calendar date and a number of months beside an open jar are different pieces of information; do not substitute one for the other when checking your own pack.
The open jar starts counting from first use
The period after opening, often shortened to PAO, is normally shown as an open jar with a number and a letter: 12M, for example, means twelve months after first opening for use. The CTPA’s consumer label guide explains this symbol for products with a longer shelf life.
Make a simple note of when you first open the product, on the carton or in a phone note. That gives the symbol a useful starting point. The date you bought something is less helpful if it remained unopened in a cupboard for several months.
Some products are exempt where the concept is not relevant, including certain single-use products or packaging that does not open, such as aerosols. Absence of the jar symbol therefore needs context. Use the information supplied for the particular product rather than assigning one standard lifespan to every cosmetic in the bathroom.
Ingredients use a shared naming system, with ordering exceptions
Look for the heading Ingredients. INCI, the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients, provides internationally recognised names for identifying cosmetic ingredients. This helps you recognise the same named ingredient across different products; it is a naming system, rather than a ranking of quality.
As Trading Standards’ Business Companion guide explains, the normal order is descending weight when ingredients are added. Ingredients below 1% can appear in any order after those at 1% or more, while colourants have separate ordering provisions. The position of a name near the end of the list therefore cannot give you an exact percentage.
In make-up ranges, “may contain” or +/− can introduce colourants used across different shades. Read the actual list on the product you are considering rather than treating a familiar brand name or similar packaging as proof that two formulations are identical.
A batch code identifies the production run
The batch number or identifying reference is there to identify the goods. Business Companion includes it among the labelling requirements. It serves a different purpose from the date or PAO: a string of letters and numbers need not be a consumer-readable expiry date.
If you contact the business about a product, include a clear photograph of this code along with the product name and pack size. Record it exactly as printed. Keeping the carton can help if a code or other useful information appears there.
Quantity and the ℮ mark answer a measurement question
The stated contents describe the amount of product, rather than the size or weight of its packaging. Cosmetics Europe’s label explanation distinguishes net contents from the pack itself and explains the familiar grams and millilitres used on cosmetic labels. Some very small products, samples and single-use packs have exemptions.
The nearby ℮ mark has a narrower meaning than an endorsement. Under GOV.UK’s packaged-goods guidance, it is a voluntary declaration by the packer that the contents comply with the average quantity system. It is about quantity control, rather than how well a cream performs or whether its ingredients suit your preferences.
When comparing packs, compare the stated amounts and use the same unit where possible. A larger-looking jar does not necessarily contain more product. Keep that comparison separate from the dates and instructions you have already checked.
Contact details and instructions complete the picture
The name and address identify the Responsible Person. The Office for Product Safety and Standards’ consumer guidance also highlights the product’s purpose and precautions for use. Read those instructions before opening or applying it, including information supplied separately where there is not enough room on the pack.
Contact-address rules differ between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. GB currently has transitional provisions accepting labels that meet the EU name, address and country-of-origin requirements until 31 December 2027. The separate Northern Ireland guidance identifies a Responsible Person based in NI or the European Economic Area (EEA). An address outside Great Britain is therefore not, by itself, a reason to decide that a label is wrong.
The hand-and-book symbol points towards enclosed or attached information. Read it before discarding the box. If a date, code or instruction remains unclear, ask the named contact about the specific product and retain the response.
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