How long will it last?

October 15, 2007 7:16 PM

How long, on average, would/should a bottle of organic hair product last?

I recently recovered a bottle of Aveda's now-discontinued Elixir. Under normal circumstances I would simply dispose of it and buy a new one, but since it's no longer being made and is currently selling on Ebay for $40-$50 a bottle, I'd like to know if I can salvage it. The product has no expiration date but I know that it's about 3.5 years old. Throughout this period it was kept in a cool, dark place. Is it still good or do I need to chuck it?

posted by anonymous78 to Shopping (4 answers total)

It's hair goo. If it doesn't smell funky or have some sort of ick growing on it, I'd try it and see what you think. You can always wash it right out. It's not like it's aspirin or condoms.
posted by jessamyn at 7:23 PM on October 15, 2007 [1 favorite]

They discontinued Elixir? Those bastards!
posted by zadcat at 7:50 PM on October 15, 2007

In addition to what jessamyn said, Aveda products are only partly organic and still contain preservatives to prolong their shelf life. Unless it smells, looks, or feels really off, it's probably fine.
posted by nyxie at 8:14 PM on October 15, 2007

Best answer: It's absolutely fine. My mom has an Aveda salon I've used the salon-sized bottles for years. I've definitely used Elixir that old and it's still worked great. The only caveat is if it was somehow contaminated with bacteria or if it dried out, but in either case you'd know.
As an aside, they are trying to convert the Elixir users to the Be Curly and Hang Straight lines...FWIW I am totally sold on the Be Curly shampoo, conditioner, and curl enhancer (I use the latter in place of Elixir).
posted by eiramazile at 8:05 AM on October 16, 2007