NHS shares how to check your sunscreen’s expiry date

If you have leftover sunscreen, you should check if it will last until next summer before storing it away.

If you do not check, you could end up forgetting when you opened your bottle of sunscreen when you need it again.

Sunscreen can become less effective over time, so it is important that you know how to tell if it has expired.

How to tell if sunscreen has expired

On why sunscreen does not work forever, Dr Conal Perrett, Consultant Dermatologist at The Devonshire Clinic, said: “Sunscreen is designed to provide a specific level of protection against ultraviolet (UV) radiation, but like any skincare product, it does not necessarily remain effective indefinitely.

“Over time, the active ingredients can degrade, particularly if the product has been exposed repeatedly to heat, direct sunlight or large fluctuations in temperature.

“This is why checking the expiry date, or the period-after-opening, is important.

“You want to know that the product you are relying on is still capable of providing the level of protection stated on the bottle.

“Sunscreen is not something where it is worth taking a chance, particularly because you may not be able to tell simply by looking at the product whether its protective properties have deteriorated.”

The NHS has released advice on staying safe in the sun, including how to check if it is out of date.

The NHS website says you should be able to find the expiry date on the sunscreen bottle.

It is marked by an open jar, an M, and a number, which indicates how many months the sunscreen will last once the bottle has been opened.

Dr Perrett also shared some things to look out for to tell if the sunscreen is out of date.

He said a change in the product’s appearance, texture or smell is a good reason to stop using it.

If the sunscreen has separated, become more watery or lumpy, has changed colour, developed a strange smell or is no longer applying evenly, you should throw it away.

He added: “However, it is important not to rely on these signs alone.

“A sunscreen can potentially look perfectly normal while being past its recommended period of use.

“Checking the expiry information and considering how the product has been stored are therefore just as important.”

Will you be checking your sunscreen before putting it away for next year? Let us know in the comments.