How to Decipher Mary Kay Cosmetics Manufacture Date Codes

When going through your cosmetic bag, you may wonder just how long you've had an item, if its even good anymore, and how the heck do I decipher that crazy code anyway? Here's how you do it:

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Mary Kay cosmetics
• this guide

1. 
    
   Code on Eyeliner

   Find the manufacture date code on your Mary Kay cosmetic product. It is a four digit alpha numeric code that either stands alone or follows the product color name and/or part number. An example is shown to the left. The code on this eyeliner is: DX11

2. Begin to decipher the code. The first character will be the year, following this key: A=2000, B=2001, C=2002, D=2003, F=2004, H=2005, K=2006, M=2007, R=2008 (Our eyeliner was manufactured in the year 2003, as it begins with a "D".)

3. Decode the second character. The second character will represent the month of manufacture, following this key: A=January, B=February, C=March, D=April, F=May, H=June, K=July, M=August, R=September, T=October, V=November, X=December (Our eyeliner was manufactured in December, as it is an "X".)

4. Decode 3rd and 4th characters. The last two numerical digits represent the day of the month of manufacture. (The final piece of the puzzle tells us the complete date of December 11, 2003)

5. 
    
   Mascara Code

   Put it all together. For this mascara, the code is: HT10 which means it was manufactured on October 10, 2005.

6. 
    
   Lipstick Code

   Check another code. For this lipstick, the code is: HF05 which means it was manufactured on May 05, 2005.

Tips & Warnings

• Items manufactured before 2000 will follow a different format, and the code will start with a number (5=1995, 6=1996, 7=1997, 8=1998, 9=1999)
• Don't use your product if it has passed its useful life, most cosmetics are manufactured to have a 3 year shelf-life. These Mary Kay products have only a 2 year shelf-life: Acne Treatment Gel, TimeWise Day Solution With Sunscreen SPF 15 & SPF 25, Sunless Tanning Lotion, ANY Mary Kay Sunscreen Product, and Blemish Control Toner