What's a preservative?
Which products contain preservatives?
Surely preservative free creams can be made?
How can I maximise my product's shelf-life?
The golden rule?
Wash your hands before using a treatment, particularly if it comes in a pot into which you'll dab your fingers and, potentially, increase bacterial growth. Cosmetics stored away from heat, light and damp generally last 30 months before opening and between 6 to 12 months once opened. Keeping an eye on use by or best before dates is essential if you want to use a treatment whilst it's still fresh.
Finally, if the colour or smell of one of your treatments changes, the best thing you can do is bin it - out of date products can be harmful and the idea is to pamper not poison our skin!