How long is the shelf life of sunscreen? How to use sunscreen after one year?

Everyone has different pursuits and requirements for sun protection, so the use of sunscreen will also be different. In addition, each person's daily life situation is different from that of everyday life, so the probability of using sunscreen may also be different. So once a bottle of sunscreen is opened, how long is the shelf life of the sunscreen?

How long is the shelf life of sunscreen?

There are many types of sunscreen, so the shelf life of sunscreen varies according to the situation of each brand. Generally, the shelf life of unopened sunscreen is three years, and some sunscreens can last up to five years. The shelf life of sunscreen is usually marked on the bottle, and the production and date are visible.

How long is the shelf life of sunscreen after opening?

Although the shelf life of sunscreen is 3-5 years, the shelf life of sunscreen after opening is only half a year to one year. After the sunscreen is opened, the sunscreen in it will oxidize over time. Once the sunscreen in sunscreen is oxidized by air, the sun protection effect of the sunscreen will be greatly reduced or ineffective. This can easily cause your skin to get sunburned, reddened, and tanned under the sun.

Use sunscreen from the previous year on your hands and feet

Some people may use one or two bottles of sunscreen a year, but some people may not even finish a bottle in a year. Once opened, sunscreen will have no sun protection effect within a year at most, but it would be a pity to throw it away directly. If you are reluctant to throw away the sunscreen from the previous year, you can apply it on your hands and feet, because the skin on your body is not as thin as the skin on your face and is not as sensitive. Applying it on your body will have a certain sun protection effect, but it will be lower than the marked sun protection value.

Use sunscreen as a barrier cream every other year

Although the sun protection effect of sunscreen from the previous year will be greatly reduced, it can still be used as a general isolation cream. The sun protection factor of sunscreen applied from the previous year is greatly reduced, but it still has a certain effect when used for ordinary isolation. Therefore, the next year's sunscreen can be used in spring, autumn and winter when the ultraviolet rays are relatively weak, and there is no need to use it in conditions of long-term exposure to strong ultraviolet rays.

Do your skin care before applying sunscreen

Before applying sunscreen, you can apply a layer of lotion or cream first, and try not to let the sunscreen come into direct contact with the skin. This can not only add some moisture to the skin, but also reduce the irritation of sunscreen to the skin. After all, most sunscreens are based on chemical sunscreen. When applying sunscreen, don't just focus on your face and ignore your neck. The skin on the neck is very sensitive and thin, just like the skin on the face, so when we apply sunscreen, we must apply it to the neck as well. Otherwise, when the ultraviolet rays are strong, it is easy to get a tan that causes disjunction between the face and neck. One is black and the other is white, that would be bad.