As we enjoy the hot and sunny summer days and go to the beach and the pool it is essential that we take our sunscreen with us. But also, it is very important that we check the expiration date on our sunscreen. If you are using an expired sunscreen your skin will be exposed to the harmful effects of the sun which lead to sun damaged skin.
As we have mentioned in previous articles using sunscreen is an essential part of skincare and will protect your skin from skin damage. In addition to skin damage caused by the sun leaving your skin without protection and exposed to the sun can also cause aging and even skin cancer.
Ways to know if the sunscreen has expired
Most sunscreen products have an expiration date on them but in general they have a shelf life of 3 years. There are other ways to also check to see if the sunscreen product your using is not good anymore. You can check manually to see if the product has expired by seeing if it smells differently or it has been discoloured. You should also check the texture of the product, if it has become watery this is also a sign that means the product may have expired.
Another common question frequently asked is how long sunscreen can be used after it has been opened. This can be based on several factors such as how it has been stored to what elements it has been exposed to. In situations where sunscreen has been exposed to things light heat, sunlight and moisture the quality of the product will be reduced.
As you can see and as we have mentioned in our previous articles how you store skincare products such as sunscreen is very important. Many people use sunscreen when outdoors in the sun and it is natural that they leave the product exposed to the sun by the pool or in hot car in a hot sunny day. The exposure to such conditions where the product is affected directly by heat will clearly deteriorate the product. So, make sure you avoid leaving your sunscreen directly exposed to the sun and heat for long.
By taking these simple steps to make sure the sunscreen you are using is still effective risks will be reduced of using ineffective sunscreen products.
