What's the Shelf Life of Sunscreen?

I live in Africa and have a lot of old sunscreen too. I came across an article from a local (South African) health magazine that says... " Most sunscreen last two to three years, but sunscreen chemicals degrade after about a year and can lose their effectiveness. It's best to check the expiry date on the bottle and to store your sunscreen in a cool place." Hope this helps.

R.

I buy new sunscreen every spring. Would you use cream on your face that you stored in the cabnet for a few years? I would not.

I think it is 12 months

Yikes, I am glad you posted this because I was all set to use last years! Thanks J. and everyone else!

I read somewhere that you're supposed to get new sunscreen every year, so 12 months, I guess.

I was told 6 months by my pedi.

I sell sunscreen and our company recommends:
1 year if it has been opened.
most of us carry sunscreen in the car and leave outdoors. Heat will affect the quality and effectiveness of the product.

Also, we should be using a shot-glass amount of sunscreen on ourselves when using it. So if the whole family is using it we should not have much left.

3 years if it is indoors, in air-condition and has not been opened.