The date of manufacture has been stamped on all Mary Kay® products to ensure freshness.  This code can be found on the bottom of a bottle, the barrel of a pencil or the crimp of a tube.  Most Mary Kay® products have a shelf-life of 3 years; however, the following products have a self-life of only 2 years: Mary Kay® Acne Treatment Gel, Mary Kay® TimeWise® Day Solution SPF 15 and Mary Kay® Sunless Tanning Lotion.

Why is this important?  Consumers must be aware of what they are purchasing, especially in venues such as eBay.  If the product date is not located in the auction description, ask!  SPF products, for example, are no longer effective after 2 years.  And mascara!  Well, you certainly don't want the clumpy hard stuff.  In many instances you are getting what you pay for.  Check the seller's feedback.  Check the look & feel of the auction.  There are lots of sellers on eBay.  As a shopper, you can, and should, be selective.  Be wary of stale, self-product.

Mary Kay's® product coding system consisits of 3 parts: YearMonthDate

Years: A-2000 B-2001 C-2002 D-2003 F-2005 H-2005 K-2006 M-2007 R-2008

Month: A-Jan   B-Feb   C-Mar   D-Apr   F-May   H-Jun   K-Jul   M-Aug   R-Sep   T-Oct   V-Nov   X-Dec

Characters 3 & 4 represent the exact day of the month.

Example: KM13= August 13, 2006

Now you know...shop wisely :)

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