---
title: "Period after opening (open jar with 12M) — what it means"
description: "How many months the product stays good after you first open it. What the symbol looks like, what happens if you ignore it, and where its meaning differs by country."
url: https://atoneplace.net/symbol/care-pao/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Period after opening (open jar with 12M)

**Period after opening (open jar with 12M): How many months the product stays good after you first open it.**

12M

## What it looks like

An open cosmetics jar with the lid lifted off, and a number followed by M inside or beside it — 6M, 12M, 24M.

## What it means

The clock starts at opening, not at purchase, because the shelf life question for cosmetics is contamination and oxidation rather than age. Preservative systems are tested to hold up for the stated period under normal use with fingers or an applicator going in and out. Products with a durability of less than thirty months carry a best-before date instead and need no PAO mark. Mascara is the one worth respecting — it goes straight to the eye and its usual PAO is six months.

> Defined by Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products. Where a symbol differs between standards, the difference is described above rather than resolved — both versions are in circulation on real labels.

## Other product care symbols

| Symbol | Means |
| --- | --- |
| Upholstery cleaning code W | Clean with water-based cleaners only. |
| Upholstery cleaning code S | Clean with solvent-based cleaners only — no water. |
| Upholstery cleaning code W-S | Either water-based or solvent-based cleaners may be used. |
| Upholstery cleaning code X | Vacuum or brush only — no liquid cleaner of any kind. |
| Cosmetics hourglass (minimum durability) | The best-before date of a cosmetic product — it is best used before the date shown. |
| Footwear: leather | That part of the shoe is leather. |
| Footwear: coated leather | That part is leather with a surface coating no thicker than a third of the total thickness. |
| Footwear: textile | That part of the shoe is a textile, natural or synthetic. |
| Footwear: other materials | That part is made of something that is neither leather nor textile. |

## Common questions

### What does the period after opening (open jar with 12m) symbol mean?

How many months the product stays good after you first open it.

### What does it look like?

An open cosmetics jar with the lid lifted off, and a number followed by M inside or beside it — 6M, 12M, 24M.

## Related pages

- [Cosmetics hourglass (minimum durability)](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/care-cosmetic-hourglass/)
- [Estimated sign (℮)](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/packaging-estimated-sign/)
- [Upholstery cleaning code W](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/care-upholstery-w/)
- [Upholstery cleaning code S](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/care-upholstery-s/)
- [Upholstery cleaning code W-S](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/care-upholstery-ws/)
- [Upholstery cleaning code X](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/care-upholstery-x/)
- [Cosmetics hourglass (minimum durability)](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/care-cosmetic-hourglass/)
- [Footwear: leather](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/care-shoe-leather/)
- [Footwear: coated leather](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/care-shoe-coated-leather/)
- [Footwear: textile](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/care-shoe-textile/)
- [Footwear: other materials](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/care-shoe-other/)

## Sources

- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)