How long does suncream last for?

Jo_R_2

Hi - wasn't too sure where to best post this one!

Just a quick question really - with lovely weather we've been having, the suncream has come out again. We bought a bottle last year for our daughter which still has a fair bit left. It says it has a 12 month life after opening but is it okay to still use? Or should I be getting another? I have just slathered on a load whilst popping down to the post office without thinking.

Any offers?

trafalgar_2

They normally have a shelf life of 2-3 ,but if it says that on the bottle then best to heed the notice and buy new......................and don't keep any for more than 3yrs even unopened

Jamie1984_2

I thought that most creams were between 12-24 months, my Johnsons Baby Cream is 14 months, but I just checked my bottle of suncream - look for the symbol (usually underneath) that looks like an open pot and there is a number next to it - mine says 6! Eeps! I guess I will be buying more, hehe.

Ted_Hutchinson

SUNLIGHT ROBBERY:
Don't forget that to avoid setting your child up for at least 12 Cancers or MS it is very necessary that SOME direct exposure to sunlight is available every day.

Of course getting sunburnt is NEVER a good idea but if the efficiency of outdate sunscreen isn't 100% as the label indicates it is supposed to be then this may not be a bad thing if you are present and watching to see no reddening of the skin is happening. In other words it would be better to use out of date sunscreen than no sunscreen but keep you eyes open and cover up as if there is any hint of pink.

Edit: another useful link that shows quite clearly how the amount of sun you receive protects you from Breast Cancer, colon cancer, ovarian cancer and MS is SUNARC You must always be aware that it is more important to get the sun on your skin than to cover up. Ideally you will avoid burning but getting in the sun regularly will prevent more cancers and other conditions, than the occasional sunburn will cause.

gregg1

Ted_Hutchinson wrote:

SUNLIGHT ROBBERY:
Don't forget that to avoid setting your child up for at least 12 Cancers or MS it is very necessary that SOME direct exposure to sunlight is available every day.

Of course getting sunburnt is NEVER a good idea but if the efficiency of outdate sunscreen isn't 100% as the label indicates it is supposed to be then this may not be a bad thing if you are present and watching to see no reddening of the skin is happening. In other words it would be better to use out of date sunscreen than no sunscreen but keep you eyes open and cover up as if there is any hint of pink.

we always buy new every year even if there is some left in the bottle. The efficiency of this stuff declines fairly rapidly once its been opened and the top keeps being taken off to apply more - I know it can be pricey but Boots and some of the other supermarkets are doing good deals at the moment with bogoffs on named brands.

pink_phantom

One thing that has always puzzled me about manufacturers selling sunscreen. If they are only supposed to last a year once opened then why don't they have an expiry date on or come vacume sealed so as not to let the air on? Manufactuers trying to scam us into buying more probably.

sheeny_2

This has always puzzled me, too.
I think it's more a case of protecting the retailer.
Not all suncream is bought from Boots or big supermarkets. Quite a lot of it is sold by small shops, especially at the seaside and in tourist areas. It's a 'distress purchase', so the profit margin is probably high.

A small shop will often have a rack full of suncream. If the sun shines, they'll sell a lot: if it rains, they won't sell any. The British summer can be very short, plus it will often end abruptly with no respect for the poor shopkeeper.
So it's reasonable to assume that some of the suncream remains in the rack when it's tidied away until next year.
Indeed, some of the bottles look as if they've been there several years;)