Reading Korean cosmetic date labels: manufacture, use-by and after opening
A short vocabulary guide to Korean cosmetics date labels and questions to ask a retailer.
Shopping for Korean beauty online can mean encountering a label in Korean. THE CAST is one online shop where shoppers can browse Korean beauty products; check the exact listing and ask for label details when information is unclear.
Three useful terms
제조 means manufacture, and 제조일자 means manufacturing date. 사용기한 refers to the use-by date, while 개봉 후 사용기간 refers to the period of use after opening. A manufacturing date is not itself an expiration date. Read the words next to a date rather than guessing from the numbers alone.
Check the specific package
Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety lists a use-by date or period after opening among cosmetic package labelling items. A listing may not show the precise label for the unit you receive, so ask the retailer or manufacturer if you need the date, format or current stock details before ordering.
After delivery, follow the product’s actual label and storage instructions. If the meaning of a date or after-opening marking is unclear, contact the retailer or manufacturer rather than assuming a universal shelf life. THE CAST lists My Page > 1:1 Inquiries as a customer service channel.