Does sunscreen expire?

mom42860

<font color=FF99FF>I am still invisible<br><font c
Joined
May 5, 2001
Messages
482
Ok, here' my question of the day, I have some single packets of sunscreen that are a few years old, which would be so easy to tote in my bag. Does it expire? I wouldn't want to put it on the kids if it isn't effective.
 
Yes!! Sunscreen Does Expire and when it does,the skin burns!! We learned this the hard way and now I buy new in the spring and throw out all the sunscreen from last summer.
 
As a Dermatology Nursing Supervisor let me tell you that YES, sunscreens expire. Also what most people do not know is that no matter what the 'marketing' on the bottle says ( IE: waterproof, sweatproof, 6-hour protection) you MUST reapply sunscreen every 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Your natural body sweat will neutralize the protective factor. In certain circumstances like very humid days, lots of sweating, swimming, etc. my Dr's recommend re-applying every 1 hour. We recommend a 30spf with the above re-application guidelines. Don't forget your lips. Use a lip-balm with SPF 15-30 and re-apply often. And don't forget places like ears, back of hands, tops of feet. If you are looking for the 'sample' sizes to tote around, ask your medical Dr., or Dermatologist if you have one, for samples. Believe me, we have TONS of them in the office from the drug companies. You can also try to visit the web sites of some of the companies like coppertone, etc. Many of the companies will send you a few samples to try. Hope this info helps. (can you tell skin cancer prevention is a passion of mine:cool: )
:wave:
 
Yes, it definitely does expire. Some manufacturers print the expiration date on it, but some don't. I bought a small plastic bottle to put sunscreen in to carry around the parks. I got it at Wal-Mart, near the trial size personal care products. Mine is the 4 ounce size, but I have also saw the 2 ounce size. I also use these for shampoo on vacation, so I don't have to lug the big bottle with me.
 

That's a good hint about putting it in small tote bottles. One of the biggest mistakes people make is putting on sunscreen before they leave their room and then not reapplying it all day.
Another mistake is putting it on after you have been in the sun. To get maximum effect, sunscreen should be applied 15-30 minutes before you go out in the sun, not after you have already started to burn.
 
Yes, I was told by my pharmacist - a good rule of thumb is to throw it away at the end of the season. Buy new next year. I never knew this!
 












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