Does hydrocortisone expire?

In this article:

• Does hydrocortisone expire?
• Where is the expiration date?
• Using expired ointment
• Proper disposal

In this article

• Does hydrocortisone expire?
• Where is the expiration date?
• Using expired ointment
• Proper disposal

Whether you have a particularly itchy insect bite, allergic reaction, or a flare-up from a skin condition like eczema, psoriasis, or dermatitis, hydrocortisone can come to your rescue. Hydrocortisone is a corticosteroid used topically to treat itching, swelling, and other minor skin irritations. It comes in cream, ointment, or lotion, and, needless to say, it’s smart to always have a tube in your medicine cabinet—perhaps next to the antihistamines you use for allergic reactions and itchy skin conditions. 

But what happens if you (luckily) go a while without needing to use it? Does hydrocortisone expire, or can you just use it until the tube is empty? Like all over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications and dietary supplements, hydrocortisone does expire. Here’s what you need to know about when and how to use it and the best ways to store it to maximize efficacy over time.

Does hydrocortisone expire?

Yes, hydrocortisone expires. “A common shelf-life for hydrocortisone cream is around two to three years,” says Brendan Camp, MD, a dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology: Medical Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery in New York. Of course, that’s assuming that your drugstore has restocked the shelves recently. It’s possible that you may pick up a tube of hydrocortisone cream that will expire sooner, so it’s always smart to check the date before you leave the store to make sure you’re buying something that will last you a while.

“The expiration date is the latest date the manufacturer will guarantee the medication will work as intended,” explains James Reissig, Pharm.D., Clinical Operations Pharmacy Manager at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center in Cleveland, OH. “Over time, medications can degrade and become less effective.” That’s the biggest concern when you’re dealing with expired medication: Once you’re past the expiration date, it likely won’t work as well in fighting the symptoms it is meant to treat.

This holds true for all medications, regardless of the formulation or how you get it. “The FDA and manufacturers will instruct you to dispose of medications once they have expired, regardless of whether the medication is from a prescription drug or OTC or tablet/capsule or topical (such as a cream, ointment, or gel),” Dr. Reissig says.

Where is the expiration date?

The good news: If you’ve got an unbearable rash and toss the box for your hydrocortisone before checking the expiration date, you don’t need to worry. “For OTC topical medications, such as hydrocortisone cream, there will be an expiration date stamped on the box and somewhere on the tube,” Dr. Reissig says. “The expiration date on the tube is often stamped at the end where the tube has been crimped closed.” Per the FDA, the date will often follow the letters “EXP” so you’ll know which set of numbers to look for. If you can’t find an “EXP” anywhere but do see a date between 18 months and three years in the future, there’s a good chance that’s the expiration date.

To maintain the efficacy of your hydrocortisone cream until that date, Dr. Camp and Dr. Reissig recommend storing your medication in a place that is:

• At room temperature
• Cool and dry
• Dark and away from direct sunlight

There’s a reason that most people keep their drugs in a medicine cabinet or bathroom drawer, as these places typically meet all these criteria. Of course, that’s assuming you aren’t taking hours-long, steaming hot showers every day. “Heat and humidity can cause all medications to degrade and lose potency at a faster rate,” Dr. Reissig notes. 

Can expired ointment still be used?

Technically, expired hydrocortisone can still be used on the affected area, though that doesn’t mean it should be. Ultimately, it mostly depends on how far past the expiration date you’re taking it out of your medicine cabinet. “If you take a medication within days of the expiration date, the medication is most likely to be fine to use,” Dr. Reissig says. “If it is several weeks or months beyond the expiration date, it is best to just purchase a new supply.” 

While using expired medication is unlikely to hurt you beyond not doing as much to ease your symptoms, Dr. Reissig says, using a topical medication like hydrocortisone past its expiration date does come with some risks. “Farther out from the expiration date, there is a greater risk of reduced potency and possible contamination, which can cause skin irritation or infection,” Dr. Camp explains. 

One study looked at the use of hand cream by people with eczema and found that 63% of those products were contaminated with bacteria. This is because ointments, especially those that come in a collapsible tube, typically have a high rate of contact between the user and the medication. Cream or ointment is usually squeezed out onto the finger before smearing it onto the treatment area, and then sometimes even going back for more. This frequent contact between the medication, the user, and the opening of the container makes it more likely that contamination could occur and potentially lead to possible side effects, like those Dr. Camp mentioned. 

The risk of contamination is tied less to the expiration date than to the length of time you’ve had the medication and the number of times you’ve used it. The longer you have it and the more times you use it, the higher the risk. So if you’ve had a well-used tube of hydrocortisone cream long enough that it has expired, the risk of contamination is higher, and it’s likely best to just toss it. If you’re unsure, consult a healthcare professional for medical advice.

How to dispose of expired hydrocortisone

“For OTC hydrocortisone, it can simply be thrown away in the regular garbage,” Dr. Reissig says. While there are drugs that the FDA encourages not throwing away in the regular trash because they could be harmful to others, such as those that contain opioids like fentanyl, hydrocodone, and morphine, hydrocortisone is not one of those. 

When throwing away medicine in your trash, the FDA recommends removing it from its original container and mixing it with something undesirable to children or animals, such as used coffee grounds or dirt. Then put that mixture in a zip-top bag and put it in the trash. If you’re not concerned about any people or critters getting into your trash, such as if you live in an apartment building and your bag of trash goes from the can, down the trash chute, and straight into the dumpster, you can put the closed tube into the garbage.