NO AD SUNSCREEN EXPIRATION DATES HOW TO
NO AD SUNSCREEN EXPIRATION DATES SKIN

For my body, I keep my beach/lake/pool bag (I’m no gatekeeper! The A New Day Seasonal Tote Bag, $30, is my current obsession, so much so that I bought it in two colors.) stocked with Supergoop! PLAY Everyday Lotion SPF 50 with Sunflower Extract ($34), PLAY Antioxidant Body Mist SPF 50 with Vitamin C ($21), and Unseen Sunscreen Body SPF 40 ($42)-which is one of Well + Good’s top-rated sunscreens-are my current go-tos. For me, nothing compares to the Tatcha Silken Pore Perfecting Sunscreen ($70)-it goes on so smoothly, never irritates my sensitive skin, and wears well under makeup. Instead, treat yourself to a formula you’ll be happy to apply again and again. If you do have to toss your SPF, though, don’t take that as a sign that it’s a wasteful investment. If done daily (or even just during summer), you should easily hit empty before the three year-mark is up.

NO AD SUNSCREEN EXPIRATION DATES SKIN

If the idea of throwing out your favorite sunscreen is cringe-worthy, may we introduce you to the AAD’s recommended sunscreen dosage guideline? For optimal UV protection, dermatologists suggest using an ounce (aka a shot glass’s worth) of sunscreen to adequately cover bare skin from head to toe (more specifically, derms recommend two finger-lengths worth of SPF for your face). To avoid any unnecessary skin irritation, Henry says that it’s best to keep tabs on your sunscreen’s expiration date and to toss even your most beloved SPF if that date arrives. “With reduced SPF efficacy, we can experience sudden sunburn from the lack of essential UV ray protection.” The takeaway “With expired sunscreens, our skin becomes instantly vulnerable to UV ray damage,” Henry says. “Expired sunscreens can become grainy or clumpy in texture and display a distinct change in smell or scent if contaminated with bacteria,” Henry says.Īnother way to determine if your SPF has lost its luster? Consider the state of your skin after you use it. Not sure if your SPF is expired? A good way to tell is by examining its color, texture, and scent.

NO AD SUNSCREEN EXPIRATION DATES HOW TO

And without a general sense, the risk of excess sun exposure increases significantly.” How to tell if sunscreen has expired “So you could get a good hour or two of protection or you could be applying a product with a SPF equivalent of plain moisturizer-zero. “The challenge with expired sunscreen, while it likely still retains some measure of sun protective capability, no one can know how much,” Dr. The biggest risk of all, though, is that once expired, your sunscreen may lose its very purpose.

“And no one wants to come back from having fun in the sun looking like a Jackson Pollock painting,” she says. Because of this, they can be more difficult to apply, which can result in uneven coverage. According to Chung, mineral sunscreens, in particular, get grittier with age. When sunscreen goes bad, the ingredients aren’t the only things affected-the very texture and consistency of the product can be, too. “These preservatives will diminish over time, increasing the risk of bacterial overgrowth, which can lead to acne breakouts if applied to the skin.”

“Sunscreens contain preservatives to keep them sterile,” Dr.

Henry says.Īnother reason you could have an adverse reaction to expired sunscreen? It could have mold, which means your face would be covered in bacteria if you were to apply it. This can show up in the form of general inflammation, rashes, or full-blown breakouts from the degraded ingredients, Dr. For starters, expired ingredients can trigger allergic and irritant reactions. “There comes a time when the product changes and, if used, may have unintended negative effects,” Dr.

No ad sunscreen expiration dates