Can you use last years sun cream?

[madmarchhare]

canya? canya?

[essbee]

I would. Just bare in mind it might not be quite as effective so perhaps use a slightly higher factor.

[CHICagoMUM]

I've heard that you shouldn't as it looses it's effectiveness, but not sure if that is true or just a marketing ploy.

[Pruni]

If it was no longer effective after a certain amount of time, wouldn't it have to have a use-by date on it for safety reasons?

(Of course I don't have a bottle handy, it might have a use-by date on it...)

[CHICagoMUM]

you could try \link{http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/may96/832481615.Ch.r.html\this experiment} to find out .

[essbee]

The newer ones now have a shelf life on now which is usually around 12-18m after you open it. I would still use it if it looked and smelt ok, perhaps if I was going somewhere where burning was a real danger I would probably invest in some new stuff though.

[Pruni]

Chicagomum

Seriously, can you imagine the lawsuits if someone got burned because it didn't work? I'm betting it's fine.

(I mean I'm not buying any more this year - too tight!)

[CHICagoMUM]

Do not buy sunscreen in bulk or store it from season to season.
When used correctly, it is easy to go through sunscreen quickly, and sunscreens can be expensive. Therefore, it can be tempting to buy sunscreen in bulk to save money, or to "stock up" on sunblock that is on sale at the end of the season. Resist this temptation: as sunscreen ages, its effectiveness can weaken. Generally, sunscreens have shelf life of approximately two years, and you cannot be sure how long sun screen has been on the store´s shelf. So unless you are planning to use sunscreen for a large group (such as a club), buy only enough to get you through a month or two, and play it safe at the start of a season and discard lotions leftover from the previous year. It might seem expensive, but the long-term benefits of effective protection will make it worth your money.

(again I don't know if it is a marketing ploy, but this came from an Australian site about sun protection and they are pretty up to speed on this subject).

[madmarchhare]

I am probably been a bit tight arent I?

No dates on bottles.