The questions we don’t think to ask: Sunscreen edition

As of recently I was at a sale, and they had sunscreen which I am always in need of. As usual I checked the expiration date and saw that it was somewhere in the first half of 2024.

The bottle was quite large and the price was obviously right so I bought it. Then I found myself asking if my family and I will be able to consume that much by its expiration date and the magic questions of- can I use it past that date and how long? So I went to google to find the answer to the question

I never thought of before. According to most of the articles I read, sunscreen does lose its effectiveness over time, and you need to respect the expiration date. If you can’t find an expiration date on the product you’re using, you should mark the month and year you purchased it. It should be good for about three years after that date. Wearing sunscreen is one of the best and easiest ways to protect your skin’s appearance and health at any age. Used regularly, sunscreen helps prevent sunburn, skin cancer and premature ageing.

There are sunscreens designed for the activity of the beach that will be a heavier and oilier product, then there are the ones specifically designed for your face. In case you did not know, Sun protection factor (SPF) represents a sunscreen’s ability to protect against a specific portion of ultraviolet (UV) light called UVB. UVB rays are responsible for sunburn and skin cancer. There are two other portions of UV light: UVC rays (which don’t pass the earth’s atmosphere) and UVA rays (which are also responsible for skin cancer as well as skin ageing). A sunscreen that is a broad spectrum will protect against both UVB and UVA rays. For day-to-day use, pick a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. If you spend time outdoors, choose a product with SPF 60 or greater.