Worried Your Sunscreen Is Expired? Here's How to Tell Whether You Can Still Use It

As a general rule of thumb, if you can’t remember when you bought something and it’s still kicking around in your drawers, you should probably just throw it out and replace it. This goes double for sunscreen -- even if you think it’s still useful, you could end up using expired SPF.

First off, for those who may not know, SPF expires. What's worse, while it may smell and look the same as normal sunscreen, using expired SPF does carry the risk of leaving you vulnerable to sun poisoning, sunburn burn and other skin damage. This is why having an SPF that is effective is important, and also why you should be checking the expiration date of your sunscreen before using it.

Best Sunscreens See at Cnet

For more, check out the best sunscreens for faces, the best sunscreens for dark skin and the best reef-safe sunscreens. 

When does sunscreen expire? 

The Food and Drug Administration mandates that all sunscreens maintain their full strength for three years -- so, if you have leftover sunscreen at the end of the summer (say a heavier type for outdoor adventures), you should be able to safely use it for two more summers. 

Some sunscreen manufacturers print the expiration date on the bottle or label, but not all do. When you buy a bottle of sunscreen, check for an expiration date. If it doesn't have one, write the date of purchase in permanent marker. 

Also take note of the period-after-opening symbol, which tells you how long a product stays fresh once opened. It typically looks like a jar with the lid off and a number, which indicates the number of months after you open it that it's usable.

Theoretically, if you're using sunscreen in the recommended way -- putting it on any bare skin when you go into direct sunlight for any length of time, and reapplying it periodically -- you shouldn't have much left over year to year.

If you have a bottle of sunscreen that you're not sure about, use your best judgment: When's the last time you remember using that sunscreen? Does the bottle itself seem old? If you think it's over 3 years old, it probably is. 

Other hints that your SPF might be ineffective include: 

• Consistency: If the sunscreen is very watery or chunky, it may be expired.
• Color: If it appears an unusual shade, it's probably expired.
• Smell: If it smells different than it did when you bought it (or smells weird in general), it may be expired.

Read also: Is a Higher SPF Actually Better in Sunscreen? We Asked a Dermatologist

Can you use expired sunscreen?

Using expired sunscreen won't hurt you directly -- as in, it won't do anything to your skin -- but it could set you up for a gnarly sunburn. And, as you already know, sunburns indicate unprotected sun exposure, which is directly related to your risk of developing skin cancer and premature aging. 

The expiration date is there for a reason: to let you know if that sunscreen is still effective. It's always a good idea to buy a new bottle of sunscreen if yours is expired. And if you're into tanning under the sun, try a sunless self-tanner instead.

Watch this: How Sunscreen Works to Prevent Skin Damage

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