I recently tried a month of Care/Of Vitamins (sometimes referred to as Take Care Of vitamins or just Care Of vitamins).
It was a really interesting experiment and I felt physically pretty great for those 30 days!
(Read my full Care Of vitamins review here.)
Care/Of is a company that gives you a lifestyle quiz to figure out what you need the most: more sleep? Better workouts? Stress relief?
And they figure out a stack of daily supplements and vitamins to help improve your life in the areas you need the most.
If you’re thinking about giving the service a try, or if you already have, you might be wondering:
How long do Care/Of vitamins last?
Care/Of vitamins, according to the company, have a shelf life of about 6 months from the date they were manufactured. Care/Of powders, like whey protein, should last for about a year.
After that, you probably shouldn’t use them.
But there are a few more things that it’ll help to know, so let’s go just a little bit deeper on this topic!
(And psst, you can get started with your personal vitamin quiz right here.)
How to tell when your Care/Of vitamins were manufactured (and when they’re too old to use)
This is really simple, though it took me a minute to figure it out.
Your daily vitamins will come in a little plastic pouch.
On the front, you’ll see a little month and date printed in very, very small ink.
See it on mine?
Here, let me give you a closer look.
There’s some kind of manufacturing code on the left, but the key date you need is on the right.
Now it’s very important to remember, this is the MANUFACTURED date, not the expiration date.
In my experience, the vitamins were freshly made pretty much right before my order shipped out, so they were brand new.
According to Care/Of, the vitamins are good for up to 6 months past this date.
As for powders and other supplements, I got some maca root powder with my order but those pacakges didn’t seem to have a manufactured on date.
My best guess is that they were made fresh in roughly the same time period.
In any case, you have about a year to use up powdered supplements according to Care/Of.
How long do vitamins last, in general? Do they go bad?
According to a 2015 article from the New York Times, vitamins and similar supplements don’t ever actually expire.
Meaning, manufacturers don’t have to put an expiration date.
If they do, they’re then legally obligated to prove that the supplement or vitamin won’t degrade at all within that time period and still carries 100% of its effectiveness.
The truth is that many of the compounds in vitamins and supplements do degrade over time, whether through exposure to sun, heat, moisture, or just time itself.
They may eventually become less potent and effective, but it’s NOT likely that they’ll become dangerous to consume.
(In other words, vitamins don’t get moldy or poisonous when they’re old. They just lose their luster.)
According to the New York Times, most vitamins should last about 2 years when stored properly and still maintain their effectiveness!
Though probiotics, liquids, and oils have a much shorter lifespan.
Other important questions
How should I store Care/Of vitamins?
If you’re following the regimine as laid out for you, you won’t need a fancy storing solution.
Take them daily or as otherwise advised by Care/Of and then get ready to receive your next month’s supply!
If you do fall off the wagon and want to take a break from your vitamins and subscription, keep them in a cool, dry place so they’ll last longer.
In a Tupperware container in the pantry might be a good start!
Definitely don’t leave them in the bathroom, which can get steamy during hot showers.
My Care/Of vitamins are really old, how should I dispose of them?
Like most medicines, you’re not supposed to just throw vitamins in the trash or flush them down the toilet.
The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) recommends putting them in a zip-loc baggie along with some sued coffee grounds or kitty litter, to absorb any leaked materials, and throwing the whole thing away in the trash — sealed up tightly!
Oh, and don’t forget to cancel your Care/Of vitamins subscription if you’re not using the supplements!
One thing I really like about Take Care Of is that they give you friendly reminders when you’re about to be billed, so you’re not likely to forget — it doesn’t feel like they’re trying to trick you into staying subscribed.
That’s a nice bonus!
Wrapping Up
Your Care/Of vitamins should be good for about 6 months from the time you receive them, but definitely check the packaging to see when they were manufactured.
Technically, they’ll be good for 6 months from that date, according to the company.
Powders last a little bit longer, up to a year in most cases.
It’s really unlikely that old vitamins and supplements will harm you, you just have to keep in mind that they often lose their effectiveness over time.
If you do have old vitamins laying around, dispose of them properly! Seal them up tight with coffee grounds before you throw them away.
Any other questions about Care/Of? Let me know in the comments!
(And don’t forget to get started with your personal vitamin quiz right here.)