What the Open-Jar Symbol on Your Skincare Actually Means
Turn over almost any jar or tube in your bathroom and you'll find a tiny drawing of an open jar with a number inside, like 6M, 12M or 24M. It's one of the most useful symbols on a skincare label, and one of the most misunderstood.
It's called the PAO symbol
PAO stands for Period After Opening. The number tells you how many months a product is meant to stay good once you open it. 12M means use it within 12 months of opening. After that, preservatives can weaken, textures can separate, and a product may stop performing the way it was designed to.
In the European Union, the PAO symbol is part of cosmetic labeling rules. Products that stay good for more than 30 months unopened carry a PAO symbol. Products with a shorter shelf life show a "best before" date instead, often next to a small hourglass symbol. In the US, the FDA doesn't require expiration dates on cosmetics at all, so the PAO symbol is often the only timing guidance you get.
What it doesn't tell you
The PAO clock only starts the day you open the product. It says nothing about when the product was made, or how long it sat in a warehouse, a truck or on a store shelf before it reached you. Two jars with the same 12M symbol can have very different histories.
How to use it
- Write the date you open it. A permanent marker on the bottom of the jar takes five seconds, and you'll always know when the clock runs out.
- Store products away from heat and sunlight. A steamy, sunny windowsill shortens the life of almost any formula.
- Trust your senses. If the color, texture or smell changes, replace it, even if you're still inside the PAO window.
- Keep lids closed and hands clean. Less air and fewer bacteria help a product stay at its best for longer.
Why we make yours after you order
Every ZAKAVA order is made after you place it, in small batches, to European cosmetic standards, then shipped straight to you. That keeps the time between making and opening as short as we can make it, so the clock on your jar starts with a product that hasn't been sitting around.