Hooray, the sun is shining! Besides the fact that it is important that you enjoy this to the fullest, for example by regularly sitting on a terrace (free tip from us), it is also very important that you apply good sunscreen to yourself and your child.
But are you actually allowed to do that with last year’s sunscreen?
The shelf life of sunscreen
Sunscreen doesn’t last forever. The protection factor decreases with time, the Red Cross writes website. The shelf life of sunscreen is about two years, but after one year the protection factor has already decreased by half.
Where can I find the expiration date?
You will find the so-called PNO on the packaging of a tube of sunscreen. That stands for ‘period after opening’. This is a number followed by the letter M. The number represents the number of months. For example, 12M means 12 months.
When should you throw away sunscreen?
Did you invest a fortune in expensive sunscreen for your child last year and now you can throw it all away? No, that’s not necessarily necessary. Certainly not if the bottle is still closed, then you are in the right place and the product is still intact. Throw away your sunscreen if the cream smells bad or has a strange color or texture. If the stuff still looks and smells good, you can in principle still use it, but be aware of that reduced protection factor. You will therefore have to rub your child more often. Do you want to be on the safe side? Then buy a new bottle.
Store sunscreen
So for sunscreen, you shouldn’t buy huge bulk packages with the idea that you can last a few years. Will you have some left over this year? Then it is important that you store the stuff correctly, so that it remains good for as long as possible. Sunscreen lasts best at room temperature. Make sure the bottle is not in the sun, because then it will deteriorate quickly. For example, leaving the bottle in a warm car is disastrous for the stuff.
Save money
Do you think it’s a waste of money, all that wasted sunscreen? We get it! If you are going to buy new cream this year, we have a great saving tip for you. KWF Cancer Control is late website know that cheap sunscreen protects just as well as sunscreen from expensive brands. So don’t be a thief of your own wallet. Do you have a baby or child with sensitive skin? Then it is of course smart to buy a product that is specifically intended for this purpose.
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2024-04-13 08:37:30
#sunscreen #year
