We have been told that we should replace our sunscreen every year as the ingredients supposably breakdown after a year and a bottle of sunscreen is not as effective after awhile?

Any truth to this or do the sunscreen manufacturers just want you to buy a new bottle of sunscreen every year?

I had a bottle of sunscreen I had actually for like...three years. One day I put it on cus I was gonig swimming at the lake. I got burnt SOOO bad. I kept applying it too. My shoulders burnt literally to a crisp. I have scars on my shoulder where there was blisters. It was disgusing. I don't know if it was just because I burn so easily, or if it went bad.

Originally posted by capgirl
I had a bottle of sunscreen I had actually for like...three years. One day I put it on cus I was gonig swimming at the lake. I got burnt SOOO bad. I kept applying it too. My shoulders burnt literally to a crisp. I have scars on my shoulder where there was blisters. It was disgusing. I don't know if it was just because I burn so easily, or if it went bad.

I read something about this ages ago, I can't remember where but basically it said the active ingredients in sunscreen are organic, and as such will break down over time...

There maybe some products out there that are synthetic, though I bet they will be expensive.

All the best,

Korg.

does anything really go bad on its expiration date?

my dad was an alcoholic vietnam vet who bought expired milk from the party store all the time. I called him on it when I was about 12. but the milk always tasted fine. no cramps.

the moral of my story is, its probably still good unless it was old to begin with. if its runny and doesnt squeeze out like normal...maybe its old. or maybe you just use more.

what would Ward Cleaver do? ask yourself this, then take his advice

Originally posted by In nothing we trust
We have been told that we should replace our sunscreen every year as the ingredients supposably breakdown after a year and a bottle of sunscreen is not as effective after awhile?

Any truth to this or do the sunscreen manufacturers just want you to buy a new bottle of sunscreen every year?

I was having a similar discussion with my wife in regards to canned goods. They put an expiration date....but really, it's a "best by" date, as canned foods can last for decades...I imagine the same is true of sunscreen.

Originally posted by Totalstranger
does anything really go bad on its expiration date?

Expiration dates are created by a means test of a product, and in some cases a safety margin added where products could become harmful.

So no product may not instantly go bad on the use by date, but trust me if anything happens to you as a result of using the product after this date there will be no recourse in action again the producer.

Kind of an insurance policy huh?

All the best,

Korg.

I remember posting in a thread about this last year.

I had used some SPF 50ish sunscreen early 2009, put on a fresh coat every hour and still got very burned. After reading in consumer reports that it expires, I checked the bottle to find it was 5 years old.

Im not sure how long it lasts, but 5 years is pushing it!

Originally posted by Cyprex
I remember posting in a thread about this last year.

I had used some SPF 50ish sunscreen early 2009, put on a fresh coat every hour and still got very burned. After reading in consumer reports that it expires, I checked the bottle to find it was 5 years old.

Im not sure how long it lasts, but 5 years is pushing it!

Hahahaha

Cheap Skate!!

Korg.