Sun Cream - is there a use by date?

wazza

Have sun cream and lotion which must be around 2 years old. Can't find if there is a use by date. Does these products have a use by date?

freyasmum

I think they have a shelf-life of a few years unopened.

If it's been opened then chuck it and buy some new stuff - once oxidised, they lose their effectiveness after a year

ailuro2

It should be wrtten on it.

As Freya's Mum says,once they're opened they're normally use within 6 to 12 months.;)

withabix

There will be a symbol of an open pot on the bottle with a period of months printed underneath it.

Unopened and kept in a 'cool, dark place' they will last for years.

missm29

i've always wondered this, is it just to get us to buy more? i buy the expensive stuff and a high spf as me and the kids are very pale, we try to avoid the sun as much as possible meaning i always have loads left over, it looks ok and smells ok but i dare not use it on my kids, so i hand it to my otherhalf to use up, hes a builder and a nightmare for putting sun cream on, i tend to put a thick covering on him in the morning and hope he re-applies throughout the day, i don't think he does though, hes not had any reactions and doesn't burn very often. My mum is another one that uses years old sun cream, shes got very dark skin though. Suppose it depends how sensitive your skin is? I'm wasting more now the kids are at school and need their own bottle each rather than us all sharing one.

Amanita_2

Well I'm guilty of using suncream that is a couple of years old and I'm very pale skinned and burn easily.

I do buy fresh if I am going somewhere where the sun is particularly strong and I know I will be out in it but back in the UK I haven't burnt yet using "old" cream. I do layer it on and reapply more frequently but so far so good.

It may of course depend on the brand but I'm very cynical when it comes to use by dates whether it be on cheese or suncream and some of my lipsticks are literally years old.