Does Melatonin Expire? A Look at Shelf Life and Safety

Is it safe to take melatonin from that dusty bottle in the back of your cupboard? Like other supplements, melatonin doesn’t really “expire” in the sense that it never becomes dangerous to take. It just becomes less potent over time. While you can take expired melatonin, those old pills probably won’t support your sleep as effectively as they used to.

The question is, how long will melatonin supplements — like those from MELO Labs — remain potent? Let’s see what the experts say and how the type of melatonin affects its shelf life.

What The FDA Says

Melatonin isn’t required to have an expiration date because the FDA doesn’t regulate dietary supplements the same way as drugs. Without any information on the label, it can be hard to know just how long the supplement might still be effective.

One research scientist claims the shelf life of vitamins is usually about two years. Thankfully, many manufacturers voluntarily slap a two-year best-before date on supplements so consumers have some idea of their potency.

Meanwhile, the FDA does require medications to include expiration dates, and they also warn against taking expired medication. The FDA says taking expired medication can be dangerous. Apart from the decreased potency of the medication, they claim expired medicine could change in chemical composition or even develop bacterial growth.

What The Science Says

Despite the warnings from the FDA, some scientific evidence suggests many medications outlive their expiration date. One study found the vast majority of tested drugs worked fine up to 15 years after the printed expiration date.

While not about melatonin specifically, another study was conducted on a box of prescription medication that had been forgotten in the back of a pharmacy closet, many of which were up to 40 years past their expiration date. Of the 14 different drug compounds in the bottles, 12 were "still as potent as they were when they were manufactured, some at almost 100 percent of their labeled concentrations."

Some even contend that putting expiration dates on drugs is more about increasing profits than looking out for consumer safety. The thinking goes that people will discard perfectly good prescriptions in order to buy more. But that's just a theory, of course.

How Melatonin Fits in the Picture

We’ve looked at the shelf life of vitamins and drugs, but melatonin is not a vitamin or a drug. It’s a hormone naturally produced in the brain’s pineal gland that regulates our sleep-wake cycles. As such, it’s a great option to treat jet lag, but it can also help promote sleep in those with sleep disorders like insomnia.

Unfortunately, there’s not much research on the shelf life of melatonin supplements. As a naturally occurring hormone, it’s an organic compound — like a vitamin. This suggests it may last as long as vitamins (around two years).

It’s also worth considering that many melatonin supplements are mislabeled, containing more or less melatonin than advertised. For this reason, you should always look for supplements that have been third-party tested, so you can feel confident that the label is accurate. FYI, all of the melatonin products from MELO Labs are third-party tested.

What Happens if You Take Expired Melatonin?

While melatonin can lose its potency over time, it doesn’t go bad like the questionable leftovers in the back of your fridge. Melatonin itself won’t rot or go rancid the way perishable foods do.

So, can expired melatonin make you sick? Taking expired melatonin isn't like eating week-old sushi. You're probably not going to get sick. This is because melatonin capsules and tablets don’t usually contain fats that can go bad or moisture that can attract mold.

Melatonin gummies, on the other hand, do contain more "stuff" (sugars, fruit extracts, etc.) that could shorten their shelf life. We cover this in more detail below, but just know that gummies probably won’t last quite as long as pills or capsules.

The one caveat beyond the note about gummies would be if the sleep aid has been stored in a humid environment and has developed noticeable mold. Mold can hurt you — and it’s gross.

As long as it looks and smells fine, there's very little danger in taking melatonin even two years or more past its expiration date. However, as mentioned above, the biggest "risk" you face in taking expired melatonin is that it will have lost its effectiveness. So if you notice the effects aren't kicking in like you're used to, time might be the culprit.

How the Type of Melatonin Affects Its Shelf Life

Melatonin supplements come in a wide variety of forms. Though more research is needed on all of these, let’s take a look at what we know about the shelf life of different types of supplements.

Melatonin Pills

As with dietary supplements, most melatonin supplements are pills. But what about their shelf life? Pills tend to be very dry, which helps them last longer. If they become contaminated by moisture, they can grow mold or bacteria, but as long as they’re kept dry and cool, they should last about as long as vitamin pills.

The downside? Pills take a long time to be fully absorbed, and they don’t have great bioavailability. In fact, one clinical trial found that melatonin pills on average have just 15% bioavailability, meaning less than even half the dose actually makes it into your bloodstream. Additionally, pills can take up to two hours to break down and start working their magic.

Melatonin Gummies

Bedtime treat, anyone? Melatonin gummies are the most enjoyable way to take this natural sleeping supplement. Besides tasting great, they’re generally very safe and tend to work faster than pills because your mouth does a lot of the work breaking them down.

Unlike pills, gummies and other chewable supplements contain ingredients like pectin and sugar that absorb moisture from their environments, shortening their shelf life (especially after a bottle is opened). Melatonin gummies will probably last up to a year or longer if kept in a cool, dry place, but you may not want to take the chance on a gummy that smells or looks a little funky.

What happens when you take expired melatonin gummies? Old melatonin gummies are generally safe to take as long as they have been stored properly and there are no signs of mold or discoloration. The worst thing that could happen is you might not get the solid sleep you were hoping for — which can be a pretty big deal if you have an important day ahead.

Melatonin Liquids

Liquid extracts are absorbed by the body much more quickly and fully than pills. Some people also find liquid melatonin easier to take than pills — it's a great choice if you struggle with swallowing capsules.

However, liquids tend to have a shorter shelf life than pills, in part because it’s impossible to keep them dry. Still, if stored in a cool place where they don’t absorb additional moisture, they should last up to a year or longer.

If you prefer to drink your melatonin, you do have options beyond liquids. MELO Sip, for example, is a powdered drink that comes in small individually wrapped packets. The fact that the supplement is kept dry helps to extend its shelf life. All you need to do is add it to a glass of water whenever you’d like to drink it.

In addition to 4 mg of melatonin, MELO Sip also contains valerian root, chamomile, GABA, and l-theanine, all of which can help knock you out (in a good way). It also has numerous vitamins and minerals that help support your sleep health. It works quickly and tastes great — it’s much more enjoyable than bitter melatonin tinctures.

Melatonin Vaporizers

Melatonin vaporizers are relatively new, so they haven’t been thoroughly studied. However, users often find that melatonin vapes work very fast — often faster than other melatonin supplement forms. We also know they are generally safe to use as long as they don’t contain any harmful ingredients.

Our MELO melatonin vaporizers contain simple ingredients like melatonin, organic vegetable glycerin, and natural flavors. They’re crafted to be as harmless as possible and many people use them as a healthier alternative to regular vapes and cigarettes. They come in a wide variety of popular flavors, and you’ll feel the effects almost right away.

While melatonin vapes don’t have a precise expiration date, the typical shelf life is about one to two years before the quality declines. Just be sure to store them away from heat and moisture. That said, if they work well for you, they most likely won’t last nearly that long!

How to Make Your Melatonin Last Longer

No matter what form your melatonin takes, there are some things you can do to maximize its shelf life. As a general rule, you want to keep your melatonin away from heat, light, and moisture. The best place for it is somewhere cool and dry, like a kitchen cabinet or drawer of your nightstand.

Medicine cabinets commonly found in bathrooms are, ironically, not a good place to store medicine. They’re exposed to too much heat and humidity.

The best state in which to store any melatonin is sealed — i.e. an unopened bottle of pills or jar of gummies. Better yet are sealed pouches of drink mix like you get with MELO Sip. Since you open each serving at a time, and the mix stays protected in the sealed packaging until you need it, you're able to enjoy maximum shelf life.

Use MELO Labs for All Your Melatonin Needs

As we’ve seen, melatonin expiration is complicated. Most melatonin supplements will last at least one to two years if they’re kept in a cool and dry environment. Some evidence suggests supplements can actually last a lot longer than that, but all supplements lose their potency eventually.

So, is it safe to take expired melatonin? Thankfully, taking expired melatonin won’t hurt you. Given there’s no nasty mold or strange smells coming from your supplements, you can safely take expired melatonin without getting sick. Just be prepared for the possibility that melatonin won’t work quite as well as it did when it was new.

The type of melatonin supplement also matters. Pills tend to have a long shelf life, but they also tend to be one of the less effective options. Melatonin liquids and vaporizers may have a similar shelf life, and they’ll also work more quickly and efficiently.

Looking for fast-acting melatonin supplements? MELO Labs has you covered. Our vapes, gummies, and drink mixes work so well that you won’t need to worry about shelf life — you’ll use them long before they expire.