You’ve probably been storing your shampoo wrong: 5 habits to rethink

When you finish washing your hair, you probably put the shampoo back where it always lives: in the shower, next to the conditioner and body wash. It seems harmless. But a recent shampoo recall has raised a useful question: how much do the way we store and use our toiletries actually matter?

On 1 September, Woolworths recalled its WBeauty Complete Clarifying Shampoo after detecting Pluralibacter gergoviae, a type of bacteria, in the product.

The recall does not mean you should stop using shampoo or panic about every bottle in your bathroom. But it is a good reminder that cosmetics can be affected by how they are stored, handled and used.

Here are five everyday habits worth rethinking.

1. Leaving your shampoo in a hot, humid shower

The shower might be the most convenient place to keep your shampoo. It is also one of the warmest and wettest places in your home.

Research from North-West University found that temperature and humidity changes can affect the stability and shelf life of cosmetic products. That does not mean your shampoo needs to be evicted from the bathroom.

But avoiding excessive heat and following the manufacturer’s storage instructions can help keep the product stable for longer. If your shower gets particularly hot and steamy, a cooler, dry cupboard may be a better option.

2. Leaving the bottle open

You squeeze out your shampoo, wash your hair and realise you’ve left the lid open. You tell yourself you’ll close it next time. The problem is that cosmetic packaging is designed to protect what is inside from outside contamination.

A 2020 study by Chloé Catovic and colleagues examined more than 800 cosmetic packages and found that the level of protection packaging provides affected how much microbial contamination could reach the product. That little flip-top lid has a job to do. Use it.

3. Adding water to make the last bit last longer

We have all done it. There is barely enough shampoo left for one wash, so you add a little water, shake the bottle, and suddenly you have another few washes. The problem is that water can introduce microorganisms into a cosmetic product and dilute the preservatives designed to protect it.

The US Food and Drug Administration advises consumers against adding water to cosmetics because it can introduce harmful microorganisms and dilute preservatives. Saving the last few rands of shampoo may not be worth changing the product’s formulation.

4. Ignoring a change in smell, colour or texture

When a product starts looking weird, your first instinct shouldn’t be to give it another chance. Cosmetic products can change over time, particularly when exposed to unsuitable temperatures or other environmental conditions.

South African cosmetics supplier and laboratory Botanichem notes that high temperatures can cause problems such as discolouration, separation, and changes in thickness. Its stability testing includes checking products for changes in colour, smell, viscosity and texture.

If your shampoo suddenly smells strange, changes colour, separates or becomes noticeably thinner or thicker, don’t assume that’s just what happens when the bottle gets old. When in doubt, check the product’s instructions and expiry information, and if something seems clearly wrong, don’t put it on your head just because there is still half a bottle left.

5. Keeping the same bottle forever

Just because there is still shampoo left in the bottle doesn’t mean it will remain in perfect condition indefinitely. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, a cosmetic’s shelf life depends on the product, how you use it, and how you store it.

Over time, exposure to air, moisture and temperature changes can affect a product. That means the bottle you’ve had sitting in your bathroom for so long that you can’t remember when you bought it may deserve a little more scrutiny than it gets.

Check the expiry date, where applicable, and follow the manufacturer’s storage instructions.

The takeaway

The shampoo recall is not a reason to fear your bathroom shelf. It reminds us that personal-care products are not indestructible. How you store and handle them can affect their stability, and simple habits, closing the bottle, avoiding excessive heat, not diluting the product, and watching for changes are easy ways to reduce unnecessary problems.

Your shampoo bottle might not need a dramatic lifestyle overhaul. But maybe it does need you to put the lid back on.