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As a rule, sunscreen must be used every day even if you are indoors. But more often, the sunscreens with high SPF come out of the closet when the sun starts shining brighter in the summer season. But do you ever check whether that sunscreen you are using has expired or not or does it even have an expiry date or not?
Yes, you heard it right! Every sunscreen has an expiry date and you must never use it beyond that if you want to get good results and also protect your skin.
What is the expiry date of sunscreen?
The Food and Drug Administration of America states that all sunscreens are good for use for three years. Beyond that, their strength starts decreasing and some even can cause sunburns. Most of the good sunscreen brands print the manufacturing and expiry date on the packaging. But in case it is not mentioned you must calculate the time when you bought it and accordingly decide whether to use it or not.
What to do with expired sunscreen?
Even if you have a half-used or almost not used sunscreen bottle that has expired the only solution is to toss it in the dustbin as expired sunscreen does not offer any protection from the UV rays.
How much sunscreen should you use?
A-quarter-sized dollop can be enough for the face and an extra ounce would suffice for the body. Importantly, you must reapply sunscreen after every 2 hours if you want complete protection from the UV rays. That means you will not have much left at the end of the week and hence should not worry about its expiry date at all. If your 200 ml sunscreen bottle lasts for more than a week then you are not using it as much as you should.
How to store sunscreens?
Since sunscreens are meant to protect you against harmful sunlight they can endure hot temperatures. But even then storing them at room temperature is advisable for better results.
Do you need sunscreens with different SPFs for the body and face?
It is nothing but a marketing gimmick and sunscreen with the same SPFs is good for both the face and the body. Rather the SPF of your sunscreen should be changed based on the temperature in your area.
