3 Reasons Not to Use Expired Sunscreen

Active ingredients degrade over time The chemical stabilizers that make sunscreen effective break down, so SPF drops significantly. A bottle that expired last summer might only give you SPF 10 when you think you’re wearing SPF 50.

You can’t tell by looking or smelling Your nose and eyes can’t detect the loss of protection. You might think you’re safe when you’re not, and that’s how you get burned or worse.

The exception is narrow If it’s only a month past and stored in a cool, dark place, you’re probably fine. But if you can’t remember when you bought it, toss it — sunburn is real damage, and skin cancer isn’t worth saving twelve bucks.