Old sun lotion - Can i use it?

bedshaped

I found a couple of bottles of sun lotion that I must have got about 4 years ago. Will it be ok to use? It's definitely unopened.

Caroline_a

I understood it lost it's effectiveness after abour 6 months.

paulwellerfan

what is the expiry date on the lotion??

Amba_Gambla

I was chatting about this the other day. I found a great (medically verified) explanation here:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sunscreen-expire/AN01968

(Mayo Clinic is one of the leading hospitals in the USA)

bedshaped

paulwellerfan wrote: »

what is the expiry date on the lotion??

I didn't think it had an expiry date but I will check! Thank you.

jenniewb

Many don't have dates on them often will have a little circular looking icon with a number on it, this indicates the months you can still use it when opened. However these icons really only started becoming used a few years back as many companies assumed people would knowingly chuck out used products within the year of using them, not saving them! Not only does bacteria collect and can cause nasty skin problems but things like SPF which are not time-safe will decay rapidly especially if not kept fairly cool and out of direct sun light.

SPF cream really shouldn't be kept for much longer then 12 months, this was what I was told, after then it isn't going to offer the same protection which is a risk to anyone. Often you can't tell this through separation, smell or colour changes as the SPF decays much faster then the liquid/cream solutions they are in.

One friend I have last year applied SPF she had kept for a year, it was SPF 30 Ambri Soleil-ie decent brand and she got burnt, she had only spent the afternoon out in London and it was around 30 degrees. That really stuck in my mind as she was peeling the next day and sore and I wasn't! - We both had SPF on, hers mine was SPF 30 also but bought last year (think either L'Oreal or Nivea), I have very very pale skin and she doesn't!

bedshaped

I've emailed boots as it's their own brand and I will post their response, but given the helpful responses on here, I will probably just use it as a leg moisturiser if it still smells ok. Seems a shame to throw it away

nicole.17

Hey!

I used to work for Boots, and after sun cream coming in in March.. coming off the shelves in September and being stored to sell again next year. I have always been under the impression that they don't have a use by date because they are safe to save for as long as you wanted as long as it wasn't opened. The once opened you follow packaging guidelines (usually 6 - 12 months) upon when it needs to be used by.

I have had suncream.. face products that 've brough in bulk when they were cheap ect and used them years later. There is nothing wrong with it, use it you will be fine

HTH!

pollypenny

I've never considered a sun cream to go out of date.

Just use it! I buy new for holidays, but use up old ones in the garden and out and about.

fuzzybear01

I used to work in Savers and they also used to store suncream for the following year, I once asked about it losing it's effectiveness but was just told that they were doing as head office said.

Saturnalia

It does lose its effectiveness over time but if it has been kept unopened in a cool dark place and hasn't started to separate out, it will have lost less SPF coverage than a bottle that has been exposed to light, heat and air.

The problem is that there is no way of telling how much protection has been lost and what SPF you are actually getting from the old bottle. If it were my decision I'd use it if it were a high factor to begin with, if I had skin that didn't burn easily and I wasn't going to be spending a long time in very hot sun. If any of the above didn't apply, I'd bin it.