I contacted Garnier because a recently purchased product did not feel right, and I wanted them to decipher the date code on the container. The customer service rep told me she didn't have that information. I then asked to speak to somebody who did, and she told me nobody would give me that information. All I was told was that it had a 3-year shelf life if unopened, but a consumer has no way to determine when the 3 years started. No other manufacturer has this troubling policy. I have contacted several others, and they were all more than willing to provide the information. According to an unrelated website, the 1st digit on Garnier products indicates the year. If that is true, this item was manufactured in 2014. Yikes! User's recommendation: Purchase products from companies that are more transparent.