Does Sunscreen expire?
Does Sunscreen expire?
No. Sunscreen is regulated as a drug and must hold its stated SPF for three years — after that, assume it does not.
3 years from manufacture, or the printed date, whichever is stated
The FDA requires sunscreen to remain at its labelled strength for at least three years, so an undated bottle can be assumed good for three years from purchase. The organic UV filters break down with heat and light, which is why a bottle left in a hot car for a summer should be replaced regardless of date. The failure mode is the dangerous kind: it still looks and feels like sunscreen while providing a fraction of the protection you think you have, and the feedback — sunburn — arrives hours later.
How to store it
- Not in a car, a beach bag in the sun, or a windowsill. Heat is the enemy.
How to tell it has gone
- Separation, watery texture, changed colour or smell.
- A bottle should not last more than one summer if you are using enough of it — the recommended amount for a whole body is about 30 ml per application.
"Use by" and "best before" are legally different. Use-by is a safety date and should be respected; best-before is about quality, and food is usually fine well past it. Where the two diverge matters, the page above says which applies.
Common questions
- Does Sunscreen expire?
- No. Sunscreen is regulated as a drug and must hold its stated SPF for three years — after that, assume it does not.
- How long does Sunscreen last?
- 3 years from manufacture, or the printed date, whichever is stated
Related pages
- Does Condoms expire? No. Latex degrades, the date is regulated, and there is no visible warning before failure.
- Does Infant formula expire? No — this is the one supermarket product whose date is legally binding and should be obeyed exactly.
- Does Mascara and eye makeup expire? Three months after opening, and this is one of the cosmetic rules worth taking seriously.
- Does Child car seats expire? Yes, genuinely — six to ten years from manufacture, moulded into the shell.
- Does Smoke alarms expire? Ten years from manufacture, then the whole unit — not just the battery.
- Does Cycle and motorcycle helmets expire? Five years is the usual manufacturer figure, and any single significant impact ends it immediately.
- Does Contact lens solution expire? No. The date is real, and the opened bottle has a much shorter life than the printed date suggests.
- Does Plasters and sterile dressings expire? The adhesive fails and, more importantly, the sterile seal is only guaranteed to the date.
- Does Honey expire? Does not expire
- Does Eggs expire? Degrades in quality
- Does Medicines expire? Degrades in quality
- Does Milk expire? Has a real expiry date
- Does Salt expire? Does not expire
- Does Frozen food expire? Indefinite if stored properly
Sources
- US Food and Drug Administration — FDA (Public domain (US Government))