Do you still have a bottle of sunscreen from last year in your bathroom cupboard? Although you may assume you’ve run out of tossers and have to buy a new one, sunscreen actually lasts longer than you think. Check the expiration date (if there is one) – but you have three years from the date of purchase to use it.
How to know if your sunscreen has expired
This advice comes straight from the fdaWhich calls for sunscreen manufacturers to put an expiration date on their product showing when it will stop providing the level of protection shown on the label. If there is no date, it means testing has shown it will be good for a full three years after purchase. (This is an old rule that has no connection to the current administration—it has been in place for years.)
even older sunscreen May Has lost its power, but then again, maybe not. Because it’s a bit of a gamble, the FDA recommends against using sunscreen that is three years or older than its expiration date. If there’s no expiration date, but you can remember buying it last year, or even two years ago, it’s still likely as good as new. If you find a bottle in your cupboard and have no idea when you bought it, they recommend throwing it away just to be safe.
How to make your sunscreen last three years
Expired sunscreen may not look or feel any different from fresh, but if does Look different, it could mean it has worn out prematurely. Sunscreen needs to remain in its original formulation to remain effective. For example, if the protective chemicals in the lotion were initially uniformly suspended, but later separated, it will no longer be as effective. If you squeeze the bottle and you get a separated goo and liquid, it’s probably no longer good.
What do you think so far?
The way you store sunscreen affects how long it lasts. Ironically, the FDA recommends that we keep sunscreen bottles out of the sun. Extreme heat can cause the product to deteriorate quickly, so they suggest leaving your sunscreen in the shade or wrapped in a towel when you’re at the beach. You can also keep it in a cooler for added safety.
