Suncream expiry?

[cakedup]

When do you chuck out your suncream? I've heard it's ineffective after a couple of years.

I've just come across a load of suncream and can't remember when they were bought/opened. Don't really want to bin the lot but obviously want ds to protected

I use opened stuff from last year and it works fine - and I assure you I do burn if I don't use suncream!

the bottles should be dated. More than 3 years old and regrettably I would chuck it.

Do you mean they should as in that's what they should do, or that there is a date on the bottle somewhere? I think if it was the case that suncream expire, surely the bottles would state the date obviously and carry a warning.

There's usually a date on the bottle somewhere. I don't think it becomes useless, just less effective.

They normally have a wee symbol with maybe 12m on it which means discard 12 months after opening. I normally use up last years at the start of the next year and then buy more new stuff

I askef DH about this after seeing a thread about it losing it's protection after a while. I'd never heard of this before so figured he'd know, what with being a chemistry prof.

He said that it's an immulsion, like mayonnaise, and after a while it will separate back into it's natural state. When this happens the protection is only in part of it so you risk patchy protection. So if you're strong enough to give it a bloody good shake then it should be fine. But there's akways the risk.

We have ultra sun and on the back there's a little symbol of an open pot with 24 on it so I've assumed that means I can use it this summer too which is good as its exorbitantly priced

There should be info on the bottle, if in doubt I'd chuck after 12 months?

All the ones I have have the pot with 12m so need discarding 12 months after opening

Thank you LittleMissBossyBoots, I do love a scientific explanation!

I guess the safest thing is to buy new each Summer. All these half empty bottles of suncream get on my nerves anyway. I only need a couple, one for me and one for DS and I buy the cheap stuff anyway.

DS is going on the school journey tomorrow so was just wondering whether to buy new for him or not.

Me too. Shake well, dont waste! Just keep applying if in doubt, watching the cumulative exposure of course.