Sun cream

[Rockydog]

Does anyone know if you can use sun tan lotion the following year? I have two bottles that I only used small amounts of both last summer and wasn't sure if they would be okay to use this year. Its Johnsons Baby 40spf. i had about 3 bottles on the go - one in car, one at home, one in bag...

both were a little gunky around the lid and I've given them a shake and they seem okay.... i hate to sound like a skinflint but at £10 a bottle I'm loathe to throw them away if its just me worrying over nothing...

any advice greatly received else its off to Boots to buy some more!

I've used suntan lotion for more than one year on myself and the kids and we didn't get sunburnt.

Do they have a best before date? Mine didn't.

no, no best before. i just remember something about not using it after a year... probably imagining it!

I heard that you shouldnt use sun tan lotion after 1 year also. Cant remember where I heard it but I have paid Boots a visit to stock up. They are doing alot of buy 1 get 1 free at the mo.

I think you are supposed to throw them away after a year if they have been opened.

I used Johnsons Baby SPF 40 for the second summer running last year and DS was fine. He played out in the sun in Portugal and didn't burn, so I guess it's OK.

There's a recent thread about sun tan lotion in which the general consensus is that it's okay to use in future years.

Shelf life is guaranteed to be a minimum of 12 months after opening (30 months unopened), but in practice it can last much longer than this, unless labelled otherwise. New labelling with actual after-opening shelf-life has been compulsory since April, I think, and it shows a little open jar symbol with the minimum number of months inside it.

If the lotion looks and smells OK, then it is OK. The actual effictiveness of the sunscreens are stable way beyond 3 years.

i wondered what those symbols meant!

thanks for all the info though. still considering buying some more anyway... just tried Boots site and all baby stuff buy one get one free is out of stock, unsurprisingly! have asked to be emailed when back in so will grab some more then and then perhaps just use old stuff for round the house and in back garden and keep newer stuff for proper trips etc. I'll make sure I keep at least one UNOPENED so I avoid these questions next year! ha ha!