{"id":5322,"date":"2023-07-04T20:50:55","date_gmt":"2023-07-04T13:50:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=5322"},"modified":"2023-07-04T20:50:55","modified_gmt":"2023-07-04T13:50:55","slug":"how-long-does-sunscreen-last-a-complete-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=5322","title":{"rendered":"How Long Does Sunscreen Last? A Complete Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"drop-cap text-big text-gray\"> <span class=\"drop-cap__first text-dropcap \">H<\/span>ave you ever slathered yourself in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/best-body-sunscreen-spf-awards-2023\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/best-body-sunscreen-spf-awards-2023\/\">sunscreen<\/a> for a day at the beach, on the boat, or by the pool, only to go to the bathroom post-dip and look in the mirror to find yourself burnt to a crisp? It\u2019s an unfortunate event but it\u2019s happened to the best of us\u2014and believe it or not, the shelf life of your sunscreen could be to blame.<\/div>\n<p>How long does sunscreen last, you might ask? The answer depends on the intent of your question. After all, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/does-sunscreen-expire\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/does-sunscreen-expire\/\">sunscreen has an expiration date<\/a> but it also has a set protection period, which is why dermatologists are so adamant about telling their patients\u2014and anyone else who will listen\u2014the importance of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/best-sunscreens-above-30-spf\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/best-sunscreens-above-30-spf\/\">SPF reapplication<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>All this to say, if you\u2019ve been religiously applying sunscreen but still experience the tingling, tightness, and redness of over-exposure to harmful UV rays, it\u2019s high time you learn the reality of some of your most <em>burning<\/em> questions surrounding SPF. How long does sunscreen last once applied? How long is sunscreen good for? And can you use expired sunscreen? Uncover the answers to all these questions and more, below.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline pr-6 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-long-does-sunscreen-last\/\" current-title=\"How Long Does Sunscreen Last? A Guide to Sun Protection and SPF Expiration Dates, Straight From Dermatologists\" current-image=\"GettyImages-1265880865-425x285.jpg\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2023-01-04\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-long-does-sunscreen-last\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-long-does-sunscreen-last\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-long-does-sunscreen-last\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h2>How long does sunscreen last on skin?<\/h2>\n<p>The longevity of your SPF will depend on the specific product you\u2019re using. That said, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aad.org\/media\/stats-sunscreen\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.aad.org\/media\/stats-sunscreen\">American Academy of Dermatology<\/a> (AAD), you should reapply sunscreen every two hours while spending time in direct sunlight for optimal protection. And that goes for all SPF levels, too. While experts at the AAD (and dermatologists in general) recommend using SPF 30 or higher for solid sun protection, whether you use SPF 30, SPF 15, or SPF 50, reapplying is key to keeping your skin safe. That&#8217;s because sun exposure breaks down the ingredients in the formula, so once\u00a0it hits that two-hour mark, it won&#8217;t continue delivering optimal protection.<\/p>\n<p>Even though the UV protection of sunscreen only lasts for a few hours on the surface of the skin, the product itself sinks into pores and can irritate your complexion if left on overnight. So if you\u2019ve been pondering whether or not it\u2019s okay to sleep with sunscreen on, do yourself a favor and treat it like makeup\u2014wash it off already!<\/p>\n<h2>Does sunscreen expire?<\/h2>\n<p>Like all skin-care products, sunscreen<em> does<\/em> have an expiration date. According to board-certified dermatologist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.schweigerderm.com\/providers\/christina-lee-chung-md-faad\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.schweigerderm.com\/providers\/christina-lee-chung-md-faad\/\">Christina Lee Chung, MD, FAAD<\/a>, at Schweiger Dermatology Group in Philadelphia, PA, sunscreen typically goes bad in three years.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo if you purchase a sunscreen and notice there isn\u2019t an expiration date, the best practice is to mark the date of purchase [or when you first peel the seal off] and toss it before you reach the three-year mark\u2014which hopefully you don\u2019t reach before using it all,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re someone who likes to stretch the rules a bit and use products beyond their marked expiration dates, Chung suggests always keeping the rule of three in mind. \u201cIf you purchase a sunscreen and the expiration date is at the two-year mark, chances are you&#8217;re good for another year after that,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<h2>Which sunscreens break down the fastest?<\/h2>\n<p>While sunscreens have a general lifespan of three years, they break down differently based on the formula. \u201cChemical sunscreens disintegrate faster due to their relatively unstable active ingredients, such as octinoxate and avobenzone,\u201d says board-certified dermatologist <a href=\"https:\/\/red-pr.us8.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=67a90f405b70c89f6afe12c20&amp;id=b9a48590fd&amp;e=adc131143c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/red-pr.us8.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=67a90f405b70c89f6afe12c20&amp;id=b9a48590fd&amp;e=adc131143c\">Michelle Henry, MD, FAAD<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Research also shows that oxybenzone (another popular chemical sunscreen ingredient) <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/8648199\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/8648199\/\">oxidizes particularly quickly<\/a>, rendering it less effective over time. So, not only is it incredibly important to reapply every two hours like clockwork, it\u2019s also important to not accidentally leave in your car on a hot summer day, Chung says, as heat and sun exposure will degrade its ingredients.<\/p>\n<p>Physical sunscreens (aka <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/ocean-friendly-sunscreens\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/ocean-friendly-sunscreens\/\">ocean-friendly sunscreens<\/a>), like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, on the other hand, don\u2019t break down. \u201cRather the formulation that stabilizes the product and allows it to disperse evenly degrades which indirectly affects their sun protective properties,\u201d Dr. Chung says.<\/p>\n<h2>Can sunscreen go bad before the expiration date?<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s possible for sunscreen to lose its effectiveness before the expiration date. Like food and other sensitive skin-care products, sunscreen fares best \u201cwhen stored properly\u2014in cool, room-temperature environments, away from heat exposure,\u201d Dr. Henry says.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Can you use expired sunscreen?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Can you? Yes. Should you? It\u2019s not advisable. \u201cThere comes a time when the product changes and, if used, may have unintended negative effects,\u201d Dr. Chung says. There are a few reasons for this. For starters, expired ingredients can trigger allergic and irritant reactions. This can show up in the form of general inflammation, rashes, or full-blown breakouts from the degraded ingredients, Dr. Henry says.<\/p>\n<p>Another reason you could have an adverse reaction to expired sunscreen? It could have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/mold-in-makeup\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/mold-in-makeup\/\">mold<\/a>, which means your face would be covered in bacteria if you were to apply it. \u201cSunscreens contain preservatives to keep them sterile,\u201d Dr. Chung says. \u201cThese preservatives will diminish over time, increasing the risk of bacterial overgrowth, which can lead to acne breakouts if applied to the skin.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When sunscreen goes bad, the ingredients aren\u2019t the only things affected\u2014the very texture and consistency of the product can be, too. According to Chung, mineral sunscreens, in particular, get grittier with age. Because of this, they can be more difficult to apply, which can result in uneven coverage. \u201cAnd no one wants to come back from having fun in the sun looking like a Jackson Pollock painting,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>The biggest risk of all, though, is that once expired, your sunscreen may lose its very purpose. \u201cThe challenge with expired sunscreen, while it likely still retains some measure of sun protective capability, no one can know how much,\u201d Dr. Chung says. \u201cSo you could get a good hour or two of protection or you could be applying a product with a SPF equivalent of plain moisturizer\u2014zero. And without a general sense, the risk of excess sun exposure increases significantly.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How to tell if sunscreen has expired<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Not sure if your SPF is expired? A good way to tell is by examining its color, texture, and scent. \u201cExpired sunscreens can become grainy or clumpy in texture and display a distinct change in smell or scent if contaminated with bacteria,\u201d Henry says.<\/p>\n<p>Another way to determine if your SPF has lost its luster? Consider the state of your skin after you use it. \u201cWith expired sunscreens, our skin becomes instantly vulnerable to UV ray damage,\u201d Henry says. \u201cWith reduced SPF efficacy, we can experience sudden sunburn from the lack of essential UV ray protection.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>The takeaway<\/h2>\n<p>To avoid any unnecessary skin irritation, Henry says that it\u2019s best to keep tabs on your sunscreen\u2019s expiration date and to toss even your most beloved SPF if that date arrives.<\/p>\n<p>If the idea of throwing out your favorite sunscreen is cringe-worthy, may we introduce you to the AAD\u2019s recommended sunscreen dosage guideline? For optimal UV protection, dermatologists suggest using an ounce (aka a shot glass\u2019s worth) of sunscreen to adequately cover bare skin from head to toe (more specifically, derms recommend two finger-lengths worth of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-much-sunscreen-to-use-on-face\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-much-sunscreen-to-use-on-face\/\">SPF for your face<\/a>). If done daily (or even just during summer), you should easily hit empty before the three year-mark is up.<\/p>\n<p>If you do have to toss your SPF, though, don\u2019t take that as a sign that it\u2019s a wasteful investment. Instead, treat yourself to a formula you\u2019ll be happy to apply again and again. For me, nothing compares to the <a href=\"https:\/\/clicks.trx-hub.com\/xid\/leafgroup_ca5e0_wellgood?q=https%3A%2F%2Fclick.linksynergy.com%2Fdeeplink%3Fid%3DvTvGS%2F1ZeSQ%26mid%3D38643%26u1%3DSTMSBT-1082723%26murl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.tatcha.com%252Fproduct%252Fsilken-pore-perfecting-sunscreen%252FSPF35.html%253FranMID%253D38643%2526amp%253BranEAID%253DvTvGS%25252F1ZeSQ%2526amp%253BranSiteID%253DvTvGS_1ZeSQ-m9EFYEq75lfeTWgjYWDK2w%2526amp%253BsiteID%253DvTvGS_1ZeSQ-m9EFYEq75lfeTWgjYWDK2w%2526amp%253Butm_medium%253Daffiliate%2526amp%253Butm_term%253D1%2526amp%253Butm_content%253D1104357%2526amp%253Butm_source%253DLinkShare%2526amp%253Butm_campaign%253DWell%25252BGood&amp;p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellandgood.com%2Fhow-long-does-sunscreen-last%2F&amp;event_type=click\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.tatcha.com\/product\/silken-pore-perfecting-sunscreen\/SPF35.html?ranMID=38643&amp;ranEAID=vTvGS%2F1ZeSQ&amp;ranSiteID=vTvGS_1ZeSQ-m9EFYEq75lfeTWgjYWDK2w&amp;siteID=vTvGS_1ZeSQ-m9EFYEq75lfeTWgjYWDK2w&amp;utm_medium=affiliate&amp;utm_term=1&amp;utm_content=1104357&amp;utm_source=LinkShare&amp;utm_campaign=Well%2BGood\">Tatcha Silken Pore Perfecting Sunscreen<\/a> ($70)\u2014it goes on so smoothly, never irritates my sensitive skin, and wears well under makeup. For my body, I keep my beach\/lake\/pool bag (I\u2019m no gatekeeper! The <a href=\"https:\/\/clicks.trx-hub.com\/xid\/leafgroup_ca5e0_wellgood?q=https%3A%2F%2Fhowl.me%2Fcj3exnIqAlp&amp;p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellandgood.com%2Fhow-long-does-sunscreen-last%2F&amp;event_type=click\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/howl.me\/cj3exnIqAlp\">A New Day Seasonal Tote Bag<\/a>, $30, is my current obsession, so much so that I bought it in two colors.) stocked with <a href=\"https:\/\/clicks.trx-hub.com\/xid\/leafgroup_ca5e0_wellgood?q=https%3A%2F%2Fhowl.me%2Fcj3ez3zjkvR&amp;p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellandgood.com%2Fhow-long-does-sunscreen-last%2F&amp;event_type=click\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/howl.me\/cj3ez3zjkvR\">Supergoop! PLAY Everyday Lotion SPF 50 with Sunflower Extract<\/a> ($34), <a href=\"https:\/\/clicks.trx-hub.com\/xid\/leafgroup_ca5e0_wellgood?q=https%3A%2F%2Fhowl.me%2Fcj3eAlEIHXW&amp;p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellandgood.com%2Fhow-long-does-sunscreen-last%2F&amp;event_type=click\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/howl.me\/cj3eAlEIHXW\">PLAY Antioxidant Body Mist SPF 50 with Vitamin C<\/a> ($21), and <a href=\"https:\/\/clicks.trx-hub.com\/xid\/leafgroup_ca5e0_wellgood?q=https%3A%2F%2Fhowl.me%2Fcj3eACSjQg1&amp;p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellandgood.com%2Fhow-long-does-sunscreen-last%2F&amp;event_type=click\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/howl.me\/cj3eACSjQg1\">Unseen Sunscreen Body SPF 40<\/a> ($42)\u2014which is one of <em>Well + Good<\/em>\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/top-rated-sunscreens-tested\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/top-rated-sunscreens-tested\/\">top-rated sunscreens<\/a>\u2014are my current go-tos.<\/p>\n<div class=\"disclaimers__after_content mb-[18px] mt-[16px] pt-[16px]\">\n<div class=\"outline-earmark relative mt-[8px] pt-[10px] pl-[20px]\">\n<p>\n            Our editors independently select these products. Making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission.          <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you ever slathered yourself in sunscreen for a day at the beach, on the boat, or by the pool, only to go to the bathroom post-dip and look in the mirror to find yourself burnt to a crisp? It\u2019s an unfortunate event but it\u2019s happened to the best of us\u2014and believe it or not, &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5323,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5322","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5322","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5322"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5322\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5322"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5322"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5322"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}