Things to keep in mind when using up last year's sunscreen

With the blazing sun of summer, even those who use the least amount of cosmetics have to think about sunscreen. Perhaps by now you know that you don't need to use sunscreen only when it's sunny, but many people are still lazy, so there are bottles/tubes of sunscreen that have expired. It's a pity to throw it away, but can you still use it?

Before you decide to try to use up that tube of sunscreen that you may have kept from last year, remember to check 3 things: the expiry date from the date of manufacture, the expiry date after opening, and the cream.

Ian Taylor, a cosmetic chemist in the UK, said: "The longer a sunscreen has been opened, the less effective it is. Expired sunscreen is even less effective and it's like you didn't apply it."

Dr. Emma Cunningham, a dermatologist in the UK, explained: "With chemical sunscreens, ingredients like oxybenzone and homosalate will oxidize and become completely ineffective. With physical sunscreens, ingredients like titanium or zinc oxide also decrease in quality. So when they expire, chemical or physical sunscreens are less effective.Life

Things to note when using up the remaining tube of sunscreen from last year

Thursday, September 5, 2024 12:35 (GMT+7)Summer is when everyone thinks about sunscreen (although sunscreen should be applied all year round), and many people try to use up expired sunscreen. This is very bad.

With the blazing sun of summer, even those who use the least amount of cosmetics have to think about sunscreen. Perhaps by now you know that sunscreen is not only needed when it is sunny, but many people are still lazy, so there are bottles/tubes of sunscreen that have expired. It is a pity to throw it away, but can you continue to use it?

Before you decide to use up the remaining tube of sunscreen that you may have kept from last year, remember to check 3 things: Expiry date from the date of manufacture, expiry date after opening, and cream quality.

Ian Taylor, a cosmetic chemist in the UK, said: “The longer a sunscreen has been opened, the less effective it is. Expired sunscreens are even less effective and you can use them in vain.”

Dr Emma Cunningham, a dermatologist in the UK, explained: “With chemical sunscreens, ingredients like oxybenzone and homosalate oxidize and become completely ineffective. With physical sunscreens, ingredients like titanium or zinc oxide also degrade. So when they expire, both chemical and physical sunscreens are less effective.”

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How to read the production date information on a sunscreen tube. Photo: GMA.

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Expiry date information on the bottom of the sunscreen bottle. Photo: GMA.

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You also need to pay attention to the product's opening date. Photo: ITV.

In addition to the expiry date from the date of manufacture (usually 3 years), you also need to pay attention to the opening date, which is a small box with an open lid, with a number and the letter M on the box, showing how many months the product should be used after opening.

If you don't remember when you opened the jar/tube of cream, and if the cream is still within its expiry date but is thinner or drier than usual, has a strange colour and/or smell, you should not use it anymore.

In short, using expired sunscreen will not directly harm you, but it will not help you at all, meaning it will not protect you from the sun - the cause of many skin diseases and rapid skin aging. Therefore, it is best not to use expired cream, but buy a new jar/tube of cream and use it regularly to avoid wasting it!