Hi guys—today I’m talking about something super important that a lot of us overlook: checking if our hair products are expired. Using expired products can be bad for your hair and can lead to dryness, breakage, and even scalp irritation. And as a curly girl, I get it—hair products are expensive. When I first started my hair journey, I NEVER paid attention to expiration dates or what that little symbol meant, but once I learned, it changed how I manage my stash. In this video, I break down four easy ways to tell if your products are still good. First, I show you how to find the little open-jar icon on the back (usually near the barcode) with numbers like 12M, 18M, or 24M—this tells you how many months the product is good for after you open it. If there’s no icon/date, I share the general shelf life (unopened is usually 2–3 years, opened is typically 6 months to 1 year depending on ingredients). Then I go into the quick checks: smell (if it’s off, toss it), texture/color (separation, clumps, or color changes are red flags), and finally trusting your instincts—if it’s not performing like it used to, it might be time to let it go.