How Long Does Sunscreen Last?

Protecting your skin from harmful sun affection is essential to any skincare routine. What product protects us from doing so? Of course, it’s sunscreen. This product helps to avoid rapid aging and appearing of wrinkles. That’s why it’s prevalent among many skincare fans.

But many people usually buy several sunscreens or get them as a present from their relatives or friends. And not every sunscreen is being used as soon as you get it. This is why knowing how long sunscreen lasts is important.

In this article, we will answer several questions: what is sunscreen, how long does it last, and what is its expiration time when opened? We will also understand how to figure out if your sunscreen is expired and what to do to make it last longer.

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But now, let’s go on with what is sunscreen so that we will understand what we’re talking about at all.

What does the sun do to us? It’s warm and pleasing, so why do we need to protect ourselves from it? Well, the sun has harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. They might cause sunburn, and skin damage which leads to a higher risk of skin cancer.

So, how do sunscreens work? They work by absorbing or reflecting UV rays, depending on the type of sunscreen, so let’s understand them better:

Many of them have different expiration dates, but this is important to understand that companies that produce them are obligated to make their sunscreens last up to 3 years. Some of the sunscreens might last a bit shorter, but 2–3 years is the average time they usually last.

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Generally, there are two main factors to consider when determining how long sunscreen lasts: shelf life and duration of protection.

Most sunscreens, especially from well-known companies such as La Roche-Posay have an expiration date printed on the packaging. So if the sunscreen remains unopened and stored in a cool, dry place, it’s not going to lose its effect until its expiration date

But when you apply sunscreen to your skin, how long will it last then? Can you take showers with them or swim in the sea? It’s better to reapply your sunscreen every two hours or immediately after swimming or sweating, but generally applying it once a day in the morning will protect you from sun rays for the rest of the day.

You might have trouble finding an expiration date on the packaging of the sunscreen, so let’s now find out the methods that will help us understand if the sunscreen is expired:

Generally, any weird changes in the product are usually a sign that the sunscreen is expired, so I don’t recommend using it.

You will surely ask me about the effects of using an expired sunscreen. And honestly, you shouldn’t worry about it so much, as it’s not going to affect your skin badly. But expired sunscreen will either be less effective or the effect of it will be completely lost. Using this sunscreen will not just have any positive effects and make your skin vulnerable to sun rays.

If you see this problem, just replace the old bottle with the new one and use it for your own joy!

Let’s finally learn how to make the sunscreen last longer, so that we can enjoy our beautiful skin even longer:

As I mentioned above, sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours or immediately after swimming or excessive sweating. You can reapply after using a towel, but if don’t want to use a lot of sunscreen a day, just make sure you’re not washing it away from your skin.

Absolutely yes! But I want to say, if you want to make your face shine, I highly recommend using, sunscreens that are specifically formulated for facial use, because they may be lighter, non-comedogenic, and less likely to cause breakouts.

Yes, do it every day, because even though it looks like clouds don’t allow sun rays to go through them, it’s not true! About 80% of the rays are still penetrating clouds. By the way, the rays the sun has can also reflect from water and snow, so you will not be able to completely hide from them.

When choosing a sunscreen, look for one with broad-spectrum protection (covering both UVA and UVB rays) and an SPF of at least 30, because they’re most effective. For sensitive skin, look for a fragrance-free, mineral-based sunscreen. But if you have oily or acne-prone skin, look for non-comedogenic or oil-free formulas.

Finally, we’re at the end of the article. Today we answered the question “How long does sunscreen last?”, and we now know how to define expired sunscreens. I know you internalized this information very well, and will be more confident when you come across such problems.

If you liked this article, I encourage you to visit my website and check other articles related to skincare, self-improvement, healthy eating, and even more topics. Thanks for reading, and have a good day!

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