The reason why you shouldn’t use leftover sun cream from last year

Unless you’re one of the ones who apply sun cream to the face every day, you probably only reach for the it once a year during summer holiday. If you grab an old bottle from the bottom of your drawer, just remember turn it over and check the expiration date on the back.

According to the Mayo Clinic, sun cream can last up until three years. After that, the active ingredients deteriorate and it becomes useless. If your sun cream doesn’t have an expiry date, just take note the date you bought it on the bottle. Also, remember to store it in a cool place. If you put it somewhere with high temperatures, the heat will make the SPF less effective.

And you shouldn't take any once-a-day usage direction too seriously. Yes, the best once a day sun creams do offer longer protection but you should still re-apply every time you sweat, take a bath or swim for maximum benefits.

Don't assume that because a sun lotion is packaged in a fancy bottle it has better benefits. There are many supermarket sun cream products with a five star UV rating available in high SPF.  When using one of these brands,  you'll surely apply cream more frequently too as the cost per squirt is far lower.