How to Read the Manufacturing Date and Expiration Date on Japanese Cosmetics?

Japanese cosmetics are known for their high quality and effectiveness. If you buy products from Japanese brands, you may have noticed that the manufacturing and expiration dates aren’t always listed in the traditional way. Instead, codes are often used. In this article, we’ll explain how to read these codes and what they mean.

Why are codes used?

Japanese cosmetic brands often use codes for several reasons:

1. Minimalist design - Japanese people like clean, aesthetic design, so they try to minimize the amount of text on packaging.
2. Protection against counterfeits - specific codes are harder to copy, which increases product security.
3. Space saving - codes take up less space than full dates.

How to read codes on Japanese cosmetics

Here are the most common types of codes:

• Complex alphanumeric codes - some brands use their own internal systems, which may include both letters and numbers. 

• Three-character codes (e.g., AB1, ZC3) - the first letter indicates the year of manufacture. Each letter corresponds to a specific year (e.g., A=2021, B=2022, C=2023). The second letter indicates the month of manufacture (A=January, B=February, C=March, etc.). The third character, usually a number, may indicate the week in the month or another internal batch identifier.

• Four-character codes (e.g., 1234, 5678) - these codes can use different formats, but often the first two digits indicate the year and the last two the month. For example, code 2134 could mean the year 2021 and March (34).

Codes repeat every ten years.

Expiration period

Most Japanese cosmetic products have a shelf life of 3 - 5 years from the manufacturing date if unopened. After opening, it’s recommended to use the product within 6-12 months, depending on the product type and its formula. 

With us, you’ll always be sure

To make it easier for you to understand product expiration, we always list it in the classic date format and the manufacturing expiration date on the product.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.