When it comes to staying safe in the sun, it’s always better to err on the side of caution so you don’t end up with sunburn or potentially sunstroke.
The best way to do this is make sure you’ve got a bottle of sun cream that is appropriate for your skin type and the level of sun you expect to be getting. Reapplying can be a good idea if you’ve been in the water or have been undertaking some physical activity that means sweating a lot, as this can cause your protection to wane.
And if you’ve got an old bottle of sun cream lying around from last summer and are unsure if it’s safe to use, here’s everything you need to know:
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How to tell the expiry date on sun cream
Sun cream, like all cosmetics , carry an expiry date which advises you when the product has passed its use by date. There should be a little jar symbol on the back of the bottle with either ‘12m’ or ‘18m’ which indicates how many months you can still use the product after you’ve initially opened it.
Sun creams also tend to be less effective the longer they’ve been opened, but you shouldn’t have to worry too much about this once your product has been stored in a cool, dry place. Sun creams that spend too long in the sun can cause the chemicals inside them to degrade, so it’s best to pop it back in your bag once you’ve used it.
It’s important not to use your sun cream after it’s expired, because there are no guarantees it will protect you from either UVB or UVA rays from the sun. If in doubt, it’s probably best to pick yourself up a new bottle.
How to know if your sun cream has gone off
The easiest way to tell if your sun cream has gone off is if the liquid inside the bottle has gone lumpy or begun to separate from each other. Also, if the product has started to smell different to how you’d normally expect, this might be another sign that it is not safe to use.
If in doubt, it’s probably best to grab yourself a new bottle and try to keep a note of when you opened it so you know for next time.
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