Does your Sunscreen Expire? The short answer is YES, but there is more to it…..

The FDA regulates sunscreens and requires all sunscreens to be marked with an expiration date. If you do not see an expiration date on your sunscreen that means it should last 3 years. If you can’t remember when you bought it – then if you notice the consistency of the sunscreen has changed since you bought it, you should throw it out!

While expired sunscreen does not cause any extreme issues when immediately applied, it does have two significant problems. First, think of expired sunscreen to be similar to expired food. Since we do not eat expired food, we should not use expired sunscreen – as it could trigger breakouts or skin irritation.  Second, expired sunscreen will breakdown and do nothing to protect you from burns, accelerated aging, or skin cancer.

One way to avoid dealing with expired sunscreen is to apply more when using it! This will also improve your chance of having better coverage. A recent study noted that while applying sunscreen, 75% of people are missing 10% of their face! The eyelids or general eye area is most likely to be forgotten when applying sunscreen. So, use more sunscreen to make sure you’re completely covered!