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in collaboration with
Isabelle Gallay (dermatologist)
When it’s time to go on vacation and pack your bags, is it wise to take your tube of cream that you bought several months ago, or even last year? We asked Dr. Isabelle Gallay, dermatologist, for a frank answer.
Before heading out into the open air, a question usually nags at us at the beginning of summer: can we reuse that sunscreen we bought a few months ago, the tube of which is still full? (To save money or to avoid wasting it). And will it protect us enough?
No, sunscreen cannot be reused from one summer to the next.
For Dr. Gallay, a dermatologist, the answer is no, it is not serious to use your sunscreen from the previous year, and this rule is not made to sell more creams.A tube or spray that has been open all summer has been exposed to oxygen, light, heat, which degrades the molecules that compose it and that are there to protect us. It is therefore not a good idea. At best, it will have lost its effectiveness, at worst it can even turn out to be toxic”, she informs us.
Once the tube is opened, it is therefore necessary to follow the recommendations written on the container, which often indicate a conservation of 9 to 12 months (9M – 12M). Beyond that, protection is not guaranteed and you expose yourself to burns, skin aging, and a risk of skin cancer.
On the other hand, the good news is that a 9 to 12 month shelf life allows you to reuse your protection if you go back out in the sun this winter. So don’t throw it away!
The only case where you can keep your cream for more than a year
There is, however, one case where you can afford to take your old tube with you in the suitcase.”If it has not been started, has not been opened and the cover is in place, in this case, it can be used as a first use, there is no reason for it to move” pthe dermatologist returns.
What to do if your cream changes appearance?
Bought in spring or early summer, your cream changes appearance? If it has not reached its expiry date, it may be useful to change it, but it depends on what you notice.
“It is still rare for a sunscreen to change appearance or texture. These are highly controlled products and chemical filters contain very stable emulsions today. On the other hand, it happens that mineral filters become phase separated. But in this case it is simply a matter of shaking the product before use”, advises Dr. Gallay.
The change is therefore rare, but not impossible: if your product, left in the heat, suddenly has an unpleasant odor, it may be contaminated by bacteria.In this case, as a precaution, we buy a new cream.”
The trick to keeping your cream all summer long
Finally, the dermatologist shares a very simple tip with us: if you plan to go on a trip with your cream, leave it on the beach or by the pool.A sunscreen remains a medicine, and therefore molecules are there to absorb the sun’s raysbut may be bothered or damaged by high temperatures” she reminds us. In this case, without further ado, our tube must find its place… in an insulated bag.Whether it’s the picnic cooler, a pouch to keep a bottle cool, it’s the ideal place to keep your sunscreen in hot weather.”
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