Shelf-Life of Sun Tan lotions etc...

[lauratee]

I have always been told that if sun lotions/block etc have been opened you should not keep them longer than 6 months - however, my workmates have never heard about this? Your input please! ta

[nannon]

never heard of that myself...wouldnt risk it with sun lotion. it should say on the tube if its true...

[spudqueen]

Yeah, I've heard that aswell, something about the active ingredients not being active anymore. I don't take any risks with the kids and buy new every year.

[chazza]

They say that suncreams loose their protection factor after a certain amount of time. I never am sure whether this is true or just made up by the companies to get you to buy more, as I have used years old stuff and it has still worked (you could see where I had missed a bit and got overdone in the sun!)

[WendyS]

I've got various sun block protection creams in my cupboard which I've had for two or three years. I use them whenever I need to and have never suffered from sunburn after applying. As some of them were not exactly cheap, I don't intend to toss them unless someone can definitely prove that they're now useless.

[ermintrude35]

...if this was the case then the manufacturers would be obliged to state a "use by date/when opened" warning on the containers...

[sammd]

ermintrude35 is right - if this was true there'd be a use by date on the bottle.

[Jennykins]

I know for tanning lotion you should never go over a year.. and for self tanners if it smells funny.. and that would take a bout a year also... Do the smell test..

JEN