I have been looking for these for years. I forget when and how I originally heard of them. I’ve looked on Amazon and even ebay. and found nothing. This time when I didn’t find anything and checked the company’s site, I found a way to contact them.
So I mentioned I had been looking for them and that I thought they would be great if marketed for beauty products to keep track of them easier.
Now I thought if I received a reply they would ask me how many subscribers I had, individual hits and all that. To my surprise they did not, and they surprised me again when the UK company sent me a package of complementary items of the product. Not to mention,they didn’t just send 1 or 2 of each of the strips, but they sent a little case with (I haven’t actually counted) I’d say 6-8 pieces each and not just of one time. They sent me a few varying times of 1 month, 3, 6, & 12 month strips to test.
Time and temperature Monitoring Solutions
Upon opening the package there’s a brochure and now I know why I couldn’t find them. They have them listed for use in:
- Blood Banks
- Clinics
- Medical Devices
- Medical Testing
- Pharmaceuticals
- Vaccinations
- Veterinary
- service reminders
- maintenance
to sum it up, any thing that has an expiration or where you need to keep track of time, even if only to show the next time to take your car in for a check-up.
There are a couple of things to be mindful of:
The stock products run accurate to specification ( +/-15% tolerance ) at room temperatures of 22C or 71.6 ferinheight .
As you’ll see there is no battery and they work by the movement of a liquid through a membrane. The engineering team calibrate and match the membrane and liquid (veg oils etc) so the timing is accurate.
My interest for them is mostly based on keeping track when to throw out my cosmetics after opening them; however you can use it for food
too. There’s just one drawback… It needs to be at room temperature, which means no fridge or freezer. I do hope at some point they will find a way to make a line of them that can be used in the refrigerator as well as the freezer. They would great for the food that gets pushed to the back that you find a month or so later and is so gross you have to get rid of the storage container.
So I started one to try on my fairly new L’Oreal Lumi compact.
The time strips are easy to use, they have ‘power buttons’ just press until you see a red line and you are good to go. The 12 Month ‘button’ is on the back.
On the right you can see I used a 12 month strip and should be able to see the red line on the right.
Of course I had to wait a month or two so I could properly review the product and make sure it worked. Not to mention try and come up with ideas for other uses. I was also trying to think of ways that maybe I could get the company to sell the strips on amazon or in stores in the U.S. These would be good to keep track of medications, even if its to just remember when to order your refill.
So not only do they have the long term strips which a few ideas I came up for were…
1 month – good for organic/natural items (like if you make your own facials, hair masks etc)
3 months good for mascara
6 months Good for Foundations, creams (including the ‘cream and powder In one & liquid liners.
12 and 24 month tracker great for powders (eyeshadows, bronzers, pressed setting powder)
aside from cosmetics (which while writing this review I have come across a version for by a company I’m guessing by the looks of the writing on their site is either Czech or Polish or somewhere within that region)
I also though that some Natural Lotions, soaps and such that you would buy at farmer markets, craft shows or even from my favorite body goodies, Lush where yes they do include an expiration date, but a time strip is easier to see especially for those that are optically challenged.
Another idea is I got was inspired by a few Halloweens ago. I dressed up as a mummy with my own costume I put together. For my face I used little gauze pads to stick to my face, but when I went to use my gum adhesive it was dried up. So the resourceful person I am I use some Elmer’s glue diluted with a bit with water. So I think the make-up FX industry could use these as well.
Then there are those crafters ie: artist’s paints, modeling paints, glues and others that use liquids for what they do and yes that stuff does have a shelf life (but that’s another post for another blog, but I will say climate, temperatures and so on go into that)
And as Timestrips has listed they are also useful to certain professions. Maybe they can even come up with extended years (at least a 5 or 10 
year) for wines, or homemade beer, mead and that sort so you know its fermented yet and then when it should be drank by (if like my dad you only put a few beers in the fridge at a time.. just remember they are good at room temperature only… maybe I’ll come back to this at a later time and use a one month strip for something in the fridge (as I do have an aloe plant that has few leaves that need to be harvested.)
Also thankfully they sent the strips in small plastic containers so they arrived safe and were not accidentally activated while in transit. When I’m done with the strips, I can reuse the containers for beading projects.
So basically I guess I’m trying to say is that they can be used in a variety of ways in every day life. Personal, Professional, and hobby. Not to mention they can be used for food in some ways. Like when you make baked goods, does anyone still make bread from scratch? You can use one of the 7day strips. Or for a Bake sale you’d likely need a 1-3 hour one depending on the item being sold.
Another idea, now In a way I am joking but for parents… Whether you want quiet for awhile, or are giving them a time out, why not slap one on them, (not literally) and have the quiet time. Also as with anything they should not be in reach of children, but you can always send them to their room and turn on one of the Hour strips for a little me time and time out for them.
You can find their Brochure and other information attached on this Evernote document I set up.
TS 201 – 1 Month
TS 172 – 3 Month
TS 019 – 6 Month
TS 121 12 Month
they also have short term time indicators. there’s 1 hour, 12 hours up to 7 days. (but why skip from 1 to 12 hours? Why not a 3 hour even a half hour? The 1/2 hour, 1 and 3 hour would be good for summer time outdoor recreation, especially a friendly or family gathering at the Beach. Those potato, Veggie and other salads are not good to leave in the heat (and I know there are some and have seen them, just pick something up from a deli on the way and not even have a cooler of their own to bring it in. (and the coolers for each family are usually jam packed, if not with food then with ice.)
Time strip make custom indicators (size wise), but the MOQ is high @ 100K
Their time strips for Hours as well as temperature strips, would be great for Buffet style restaurants. The time strip say a half hour to and hour to leave the food in the buffet before it has to be refreshed. (too bad that can’t be a law everywhere if its not already, as well as all leftovers should be donated to shelters)
The temperature strips I think some can be used in a refrigerator
Now if only there could be one that can be reused for some of the uses. (of course not on food)
CONTEST TIME
I will send YOU one of each strip to try yourself.
If anyone has a blog that this will fit in your niche topic, please send me the Link and your information in the form below.
I just ask that you pass the word on to contact them (through their site) and let them know we want these to be available to the public in stores In the U.S. and across the world.
as always I will only write reviews of my own honest opinion. That means good reviews cannot be bought. I do my best to include what I do and Do not like about what I am reviewing and why, as well as try to include ways I think It can be improved upon.
Zi's Beauty Balm 
