I used my Soap Commander Vision balm for the first time in a year maybe. I think I detected a whiff of rancid oil. Has anyone else had a similar experience?
Can balms go bad?
- Thread starter Cino
- Start date
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
Yes, balms can go bad.
Here in the UK and EU, toiletries and cosmetic products have a PAO (Period After Opening) symbol, which shown how long the product should be good for after first use. That might be 3 months, or 36 months, but it has to be specified on the packaging. For example, Nivea Sensitive Balm is specified as 12 months (though I have had one last a fair bit longer). Products not packaged for sale in the EU, don't last any longer, or have an indefinite life, it's just that the manufacturer doesn't need tell you up front what the product life is like they do here.
Here in the UK and EU, toiletries and cosmetic products have a PAO (Period After Opening) symbol, which shown how long the product should be good for after first use. That might be 3 months, or 36 months, but it has to be specified on the packaging. For example, Nivea Sensitive Balm is specified as 12 months (though I have had one last a fair bit longer). Products not packaged for sale in the EU, don't last any longer, or have an indefinite life, it's just that the manufacturer doesn't need tell you up front what the product life is like they do here.
Lots of products have "use by dates". However, the one objective of these is to limit the liability of the manufacturer. For example, most medications say to discard them after one year. However, many common pharmaceuticals: pain killers, antibiotics, etc. remain effective for much longer than that; the manufacturers just won't stand behind them for more than a year. It is the same thing with a lot of other products. If the stated life of a shave balm is 12 months, it should last far longer than that if stored in a cool, dark place. If stored in a refrigerator, it might last a couple of years. If stored on a sunny window shelf, it might go bad after a few months.
Nivea balm contains methylparaben as a preservative. Two ingredients in the balm that are likely to cause spoilage are tapioca starch and soybean oil which is largely composed of polyunsaturated fats which go rancid over time.
Soap Commander uses Diazolidinyl Urea as the preservative in their balm. This particular preservative releases formaldehyde as the primary preservative agent. Thus, its use is strictly controlled. The two main fats are avocado oil, which is largely composed of monounsaturated fatty acids, and sunflower oil which is largely polyunsaturated fats that can go rancid. When sunflower oil is used for cooking, it will last about a year at room temperature once the bottle has been opened. Since the Soap Commander balm uses sunflower oil, I suspect this the source of the rancid smell you detected after a year.
Yep. Had to toss out the rest of my AOS unscented balm today as it just stunk. Thankfully I determined this without actually applying it to my face.
This illustrates the value of avoiding acquisition disorders!
This illustrates the value of avoiding acquisition disorders!
EclipseRedRing
I smell like a Christmas pudding
I just acquired this vintage Fabergé Brut balm which must be at least 25 years old. It smells fantastic and does not appear to have spoiled in any way. I have soaps and colognes going back to the 50s which are also excellent. I have a 1950s Shulton Old Spice cream which has crystallized and is very difficult to lather and is the only one I would say has spoiled. Perhaps the ingredients lent themselves to a longer shelf life in years gone by, maybe because people were generally more frugal back then.
Check the ingredient list. Over the last 25 years, there has been a big push towards the use of poilyunsaturated fats. These fats are subject to oxidation which turns them rancid. If the balm contains alcohol, that would serve as a preservative.
Many preservatives considered safe for use in cosmetic products 25 years ago are no longer considered safe. Thus, the shelf live of many current products is less than many vintage products.
I wouldn't be surprised, but I did have a bottle of Castle Forbes that was around for quite a few years with no problem.
