Cuticle oil is usually a very stable product. Oil evaporates much more slowly than water and can last a long time, rarely going through any physical transformation or degradation. So if cuticle oil doesn’t get clumpy like our nail polish or dried out like our bottle of acetone, then how do we know when it’s time to throw that stuff out?
Well, according to Dr. Chris Adigun, an NYU clinical assistant professor of dermatology and a member of Dermelect Cosmeceuticals‘ board of advisors, it’s all in the fragrance. Unlike oil, fragrance does in fact deteriorate over time.
“I would recommend smelling the product before using it,” says Adigun.
However, cuticle oils can become contaminated, depending on how the product is applied. “If it’s used directly on the cuticle with the brush, the product could become contaminated and shouldn’t be kept longer than a year,” she says.
Click here to learn about nail polish preservation.
