sell by date on suntan lotion?

[moonunit100]

Hi! Does anybody know if suntan lotion has a use by date. I've found a couple of bottles that are about 5-6 years old and wonder if they will still be effective for my holiday this year.

Thanks in advance, moon.

[ratbag66]

Don't use it!  Most suntan lotions now have 'use buy' dates (around 2 - 3 years) and lose their effectiveness after this.  See the cancer research sunsmart page here for more advice.

[Shire]

Chuck it away! My mum tried to use 1 year-old suntan cream and it gave her a horrible rash!

[AllYourBase]

What I find odd is that so many things have specific "use by" and "best before" dates these days - even nappies due to the performance of the adhesive. However even with all the well known risks associated with exposure to the sun there are no requirements for use by dates on spf lotions. Either this whole sun tan lotion expiry thing is a myth created by the manufacturers designed to get you to buy new bottles each year, or the government and NHS don't know what they are doing. Discuss!

[ann_h]

Unopened suncream will usually keep for a couple of years, opened stuff cannot be saved till next season.

 

As of now, all cosmetics, creams etc will have a little logo on of an opened pot with the months you can keep it once opened. New EU thing.

As for unopened containers, Avon says "any cosmetic product over 3 years old should be used with caution"

[moonunit100]

Thanks for these answers everyone. Trouble is, it all sounds like opinions! Therefore I am just as in the dark as I was to begin with. AllYourBase's answer sounds like common sense to me, I mean manufacturers are bound to 'pretend' all this stuff has a use by date so that we buy more. Trouble is, most of the others seem to agree the older stuff is no good. I guess as I don't want sunburn I might just throw it away. I just wish there was a definitive answer.

Thanks again.

[apricoticca]

I found a good article on netdoctor about this.

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/travel/diseases/safe_in_the_sun.htm

Basically, if a product has a sell by date of longer than 2.5 yrs there is no legal requirement to display a sell by date.

If the suncream has been subjected to heat/sunlight/has been opened then you are best not using it the following year.  One reason (and probs the reason for the above ladies rash) is because bacteria can breed in it, also the sun protectection can degrade with exposure to heat.

Best advice is don't gamble buy new stuff.

[munkie]

I have found the answer to your question on this website;

http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=3007

They say that the lifespan of sun lotion is 2-3 years and you should not be using lotion that is 5 or more years old.