Ceramic coatings provide an exceptional level of protection to a vehicle’s exterior surfaces, but they can be quite fussy products to use. They need to be stored and applied in the correct conditions to ensure the process goes smoothly. Here’s everything you need to know about a coating’s shelf life.
Average Shelf Life After Opening
Most ceramic coatings have a shelf-life of 3-6 months after they have been opened before they expire. However, the shelf life of the coating will vary between manufacturers and will depend on how the bottle has been stored.
Some coatings have a significantly shorter shelf life, so it is always worth checking with the manufacturer before using an opened coating bottle.
Below is a table listing some of the most popular ceramic coatings and the manufacturer advised shelf life after opening.
| Ceramic Coating | Shelf Life After Opening |
| AvalonKing Armor ShieldX | 48 hours |
| Fenylab Ceramic | 1-2 months |
| Gtechniq Coatings | Up to 3 months |
| Infinity Wax Synergy | 2-6 months |
| Carbon Collective Coatings | 3-6 months |
| CarPro Cquartz 3.0 | 3-6 months |
| Gyeon Evo Coatings | Up to 6 months |
| Garage Therapy Cerberus | Up to 12 months |
| Liquid Elements EcoShield | Up to 2 years* |
*This coating requires refrigeration to get the maximum 2-year shelf life after opening
How to Store an Opened Ceramic Coating Bottle
Once a ceramic coating bottle has been opened, it means that the coating has been exposed to the air. As you’ll know from the application process, once a coating is layered onto the car, it hardens quickly after it has “flashed” off. This process is activated by exposure to the air.
This is why you’ll often see that hard crystals form on the rim or lid of the bottle where the coating has been allowed to dry out.
Once the lid has been put back on, the coating is no longer exposed to air. However, as it was exposed for some time already, the shelf life will be reduced compared to if it was left unopened.
There are some steps that you can take though to slow down the crystallisation process and keep it as fresh as possible for as long as possible after opening.
- Make sure the lid is on tight
- Seal the lid with masking tape
- Place the coating bottle in a vacuum sealed bag if possible
- Store in an indoor, cool, dark place (never in direct sunlight)
- Remove the pipette from the coating bottle if it has one
It is also recommended that some coatings are stored in a refrigerator once opened to extend the shelf life. For example, the Nanolex Si3D coating only has a shelf-life of 3-6 weeks once opened, unless it is stored in the fridge where the shelf life is 2-3 months.
I’d recommend checking with the coating manufacturer first though to check this is a suitable option, as for some coatings it is not advised. For example, AvalonKing say that their coating Armor Shield IX should not be stored in the fridge.
When you’re actually applying the coating, make sure you keep putting the lid on the bottle after you’ve applied it to the applicator for each section. Don’t be tempted to let it sit there for a few minutes without the lid on, as this will reduce the shelf life.
Unsure how much ceramic coating you’ll need? Check out this complete guide.
How Can You Tell if a Ceramic Coating Has Expired
If the coating has been opened for longer than the recommended shelf-life then I just wouldn’t risk using it. The process of preparing the car and applying the coating is labour intensive and time consuming, so I think it’s important to take the shelf-life seriously to avoid having to repeat everything again if something goes wrong.
There is the possibility though that the coating may not reach the maximum shelf-life if it has not been stored properly and there are two tell tale signs to look out for.
A ceramic coating has expired and is no longer suitable to use if:
- Crystals have formed inside the bottle
- The coating has turned cloudy and is not completely transparent
Even if the coating is still within the recommended shelf life, if you spot either of the two signs above, don’t use it and buy a new bottle instead.
Average Shelf Life of Unopened Bottle
Most manufacturers state that an unopened bottle of ceramic coating has a shelf-life of 1 year, however it can vary between manufacturers. For example, AvalonKing coatings have a 2-year shelf-life when unopened.
Some ceramic coating bottles have an expiration date on them so it’s always worth checking for this.
How to Store an Unopened Ceramic Coating Bottle
- Fully tighten the lid
- Place the coating bottle in a vacuum sealed bag if possible
- Store in an indoor, cool, dark place (never in direct sunlight)
Check out this article on the best temperature to apply a ceramic coating.