Once upon a time, hairspray was everywhere.
Whether you wore your hair high and proud like The Supremes, Marvelettes, and Ronettes, or you wore a retro-chic style like the cast of the movie Hairspray, a hairdo using hairspray was the way to go for decades.
Changes in fashion (and ozone-related restrictions on aerosols) may mean that the mid-century hairspray heyday has come and gone, but hairspray sure has a way of "sticking around," doesn't it?
Still, whatever your era or fashion of choice, expired hairspray is definitely out, so let's take a closer look at the expiry date of hairspray.
Does hairspray expire? If so, why does that happen, and what can you do to extend the shelf life of your hairspray? Finally, does using an expired hair product lead to any hair problems? We answer these questions and many more within this article.
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Does Hairspray Expire?
Hairspray does expire. Unopened hairspray will last for approximately 3 years. If the can has an expiration date, follow it. An aerosol can stays sealed even while you’re using it, so spraying it doesn’t start a shorter clock the way opening a jar does. Pump hairspray is different: once you open the bottle, plan to use it up within about 12 months.
Too much warmth or cold can cause the consistency to go south. Heat is the bigger danger, though. An aerosol can is under pressure, and too much heat can make it burst, which is why US labels warn against storing a can above 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
Hairspray products are also meant to be used undiluted. So never add water to a pump bottle to stretch it, since that will make the mixture lose its consistency.
However, the question of whether hairspray goes bad is trickier to solve than with other hair care products. This is because, as detailed a bit further down, it doesn't completely "spoil" in the sense of it going rancid, which can be the case with other hair products.
That said, it can degrade in usefulness, and other factors can still cause it to "spoil."
For example, think about what’s inside the can.
If your hairspray is alcohol-based (check for alcohol near the top of the ingredient list), germs have a hard time growing in it. And an aerosol can keeps air and germs out while you use it.
Still, like other beauty products, hairspray can change color, texture, and smell with heat, sunlight, and time, so it doesn’t last forever.
Unlike most shampoos and conditioners and many hair dyes, hairspray often lacks the small open-jar symbol with a number of months (e.g., "6M"), which tells you how long a product is good for after you open it. That’s called the period after opening (PAO). An aerosol can isn’t really opened to the air, so that symbol often doesn’t apply to it. Check the can for a printed expiration date instead.
How Can You Tell If Your Hair Spray Has Gone Bad?
With pump hairspray, as with many hair products, opening the bottle lets air in and starts the clock, so it will go bad sooner once it’s open.
Aerosol hairspray holds up better because the can stays sealed while you spray.
The consequences of using a hairspray product that's expired start with it simply not being able to hold your hair in place as effectively.
On the one hand, that may not seem so bad. After all, as iconic as certain updo hairdos are today, vertical high-and-mighty hairstyles were invented many years ago. Plus, there are other ways of giving your hair a few extra inches if you're really committed to doing so.
On the other hand, nothing has the capacity to give you a bad hair day quite the same as a hairspray product gone bad, especially if it leaves your hair strands sticky, slick, and flopping all over the place.
If your hairspray isn't holding the way that it used to, there's a fair chance that it has started to spoil, especially if you've had it for a while.
One of the nice things about hairspray is that it doesn't go as rancid as a spoiled shampoo or conditioner.
At the same time, however, this doesn't mean that the aroma of past-its-prime hairspray is something that you're going to want to wear in your hair all day, either.
Even if it isn't hold-your-nose awful, a major change in its odor should be enough for you to toss it. Fragrance ingredients starting to fade can indicate that the hairspray is getting old and starting to lose its muster.
Finally, an old hairspray product has typically seen a lot of use. You know how sticky hairspray can be; now imagine months or years of that building up on the underside of or inside the nozzle.
All of that residue can start to create blockages that, as time passes, can become hard or even impossible to clear.
And to be clear, you shouldn’t try to force these blockages open yourself.
An aerosol can hold a lot of pressure, so jabbing a hole in the nozzle or any other part of the can is a dangerous recipe for disaster. Never puncture or burn an aerosol can, even when it’s empty. Instead, this is yet another sign that your hairspray is best discarded. If the can still has hairspray in it, don’t toss it in the trash or the recycling bin. The EPA counts unemptied aerosol cans as household hazardous waste, so take it to a local hazardous waste drop-off.
Can You Use Expired Hairspray?
First, it's worth noting that, unlike shampoo, conditioner, or other hair products, hairspray doesn't go bad the same way.
When shampoo goes bad, for example, it can start to smell off or separate, and spoiled hair dye may not give you the color you expected. Hairspray doesn’t spoil that way, and it may even still smell fine.
Instead, as mentioned, it simply won't work as well.
Hair "sprays" are meant to come out as, well, a spray. If you press the trigger and a liquid comes out instead, or you see liquid seeping out of the nozzle before or after use, chances are that the spray has seen its final days and needs to be tossed.
The spray itself should be strong and consistent. If it starts to weaken, the can may be losing pressure, which happens as the propellant (the gas that pushes the spray out) runs low or when the can is cold.
How Can You Extend the Shelf Life of Your Hairspray
The most important thing that you can do to keep your hairspray in good condition for as long as possible is to consider the factors we have mentioned above that can cause it to degrade and act upon them to avoid hair problems.
For example, take the fact that extreme heat can cause massive and even potentially explosive consequences for your hairspray can.
How to Store Hairspray
To counteract that, you'll want to store it somewhere free from temperature fluctuations, let alone extreme heat or cold. Besides, as with most hair products, you ideally want to store your hairspray away from sunlight.
A bathroom cabinet can work for an aerosol can, since the can stays sealed, but keep a pump bottle in a closet, since bathroom moisture can help germs grow. That said, you'll want to make sure that it doesn't get too hot or humid in there before storing your hairspray can in one of your cabinets. Room temperature is fine. Just keep the can well below that 120-degree mark, which rules out a hot car.
Another factor to keep in mind when storing your hairspray is that it should be kept and used in a well-ventilated space. As long as you won't be spraying it in your cabinet (and really, why would you?), it should be fine in there.
Just make sure that if you use it in the bathroom, you open a window, flick on a fan, or otherwise make sure that the room is well-ventilated so as to prevent the vapors from building up.
The goal is to avoid breathing in the mist. Many aerosol hairsprays are flammable, too (check the label), so don’t spray near an open flame, a lit candle, or a cigarette.
Finally, if you like to spray some on your hands to pat down flyaways, that’s fine. It won’t hurt the hairspray left in the can.
Does Hairspray Color Expire?
Hairspray color, like regular hairspray, does expire. The average shelf life for unopened colored hairspray is around three years, and since a can stays sealed while you spray it, plan to use it up within about three years of buying it. Over time, the color pigments may degrade, and the hairspray may lose its effectiveness in holding and coloring your hair. To extend the shelf life of colored hairspray, store it away from extreme temperatures and sunlight.
Does Hair Setting Spray Expire?
Hair setting spray does expire. Similar to hairspray, the shelf life of an unopened hair setting spray is typically around three years. If it comes in a pump bottle, plan to use it within about 12 months of opening it. An aerosol can stays sealed while you use it, so it lasts closer to the full three years. Over time, the ingredients may degrade, and the setting spray may lose its effectiveness in holding your hairstyle. Store the setting spray away from extreme temperatures and sunlight to extend its shelf life.
What Is the Shelf Life of Hair Spray?
The shelf life of hairspray depends on whether it is unopened or opened. Unopened hairspray typically has a shelf life of around 3 years. An aerosol can stays sealed while you use it, so it lasts close to that full three years. For a pump bottle, we recommend using it up within about 12 months of opening it. To extend the shelf life of your hairspray, store it away from extreme temperatures and sunlight.
Related Articles
- Does Unused Hair Dye Expire?
- Does Unmixed Hair Bleach Expire?
- Will Hair Gel Expire?
- Can Conditioner Expire?
Hairspray Is a Tricky Hair Product
Hairspray is a tricky hair product to pin down in terms of how to best use and preserve it. On the one hand, there is no denying that hairspray is one of the longest-lived hair care products. When used properly, it can last for several years.
On the other hand, while hairspray doesn't spoil the same way that shampoo or conditioner does, it can also lose its consistency and fragrance, and when it does, it can deteriorate fast. What's more, you don’t have to worry about shampoo or conditioner bursting in the heat.
As long as you keep your sprays free from extreme temperatures and ensure that the nozzle doesn't become clogged, however, your hairspray game can reign supreme.
