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    Does Sunscreen Expire?

    See if it’s time to swap out your sunscreen for a new one

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    Melting sunscreen
    If your sunscreen has been sitting around for more than three years, it’s lost its sun protection powers—you might end up getting more easily sunburned instead.
    Ben Bours

    Although sunscreen is meant to be used year-round, most people don’t think much about it until they’re ready to trade jackets and long sleeves for T-shirts and bathing suits. But is the half-used or unopened lotion or spray you’ve had hanging around since last September still okay for you to use now? Or does sunscreen expire?

    Sunscreen does have a shelf life, but it’s a long one. The Food and Drug Administration, which regulates sunscreens, mandates that sunscreens be formulated to stay stable and effective for three years. And they will remain so, even if the container has been opened. “Opening a sunscreen doesn’t cause it to expire any faster. Provided it’s been stored at room temperature, it will maintain its level of protection if it is still in that three-year window,” says Susan Booth, the project leader for sunscreen testing at Consumer Reports. “We have retested sunscreen samples from previous years’ testing after storing them in our lab and found no differences in performance.”

    More On Sun Protection

    Some sunscreens have an expiration date on the container, which makes it easy to determine the product’s “freshness.” (You may have to do a little searching—the dates aren’t always easy to spot.) “A sunscreen that expires in six months should work as well as one that has an expiration date of three years away,” Booth says.

    But the FDA doesn’t require manufacturers to date their products. If you have a date-less sunscreen and can’t recall when you bought it, don’t take a chance. An expired sunscreen will no longer adequately protect you from the sun, leaving your skin more vulnerable to sun damage.  Buy a new one and use a permanent marker to write the date you purchased it on the container.

    And regardless of the sunscreen’s expiration or purchase date, toss it if it’s been in your car for a while (temperature fluctuations may have affected its performance) or the contents have separated—“spoiled” sunscreen will be watery, have changed color, or have a funny smell.

    Top-Rated Sunscreens From CR’s Tests

    If your sunscreen has expired and you’re looking to buy a new one, check out CR’s ratings of over 70 sunscreens, or the best mineral and spray sunscreens if you know which type you prefer. Below, we highlight four highly rated sunscreens from our tests, listed in alphabetical order.


    Trisha Calvo

    Trisha Calvo has been the deputy editor for health and food at Consumer Reports since 2013, focusing on nutrition and food safety, frequently editing food safety investigations. Previously, she was an executive editor at Rodale Books and the executive editor at Shape magazine. You’ll often find her in her kitchen creating deliciously healthy dishes.