Self: Here’s how to tell if your sunscreen has expired
Cosmetic scientist Kelly Dobos gives detailed instructions the shelf life of sunscreen
Cosmetic scientist Kelly Dobos explains how to determine whether sunscreen has expired, and which sunscreens to use.
You might not get sick from using expired sunscreen, but you could get a nasty burn, says Kelly Dobos, cosmetic chemist and adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati’s James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy.
Dobos told Self Magazine that there are several ways to tell if your sunscreen is expired, pointing first to any obvious month/date/year expiration dates on the sunscreen container. However, those dates can sometimes be hard to find. The article advises consumers to look on the bottom of the container or at the seamed end of the tube. If there is no expiration date, Dobos advises to use the three years from purchase rule of thumb or perform a visual test to see if the sunscreen is clumpy or looks different than it did with first use. If it does, it’s best to toss it out.
“If you can see a distinct oil layer or your lotion is no longer a consistently creamy emulsion, it’s likely no longer good,” she says.
Dobos was also a featured guest on WVXU on the topic of what type of sunscreen is the best to use.
Listen to the WVXU interview: Tips for picking the right sunscreen for you and your family
Read the Self article on sunscreen expiration dates.
Featured image at top courtesy of Unsplash/Federico Giampieri
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
How to keep birds from flying into your windows
July 3, 2024
UC College of Arts and Sciences professor Ron Canterbury tells the Indianapolis Star that simple steps can prevent birds from strike windows around your home or business. Yahoo! News shares the story.
UC study: Brain organ plays key role in adult neurogenesis
July 2, 2024
The University of Cincinnati has published research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that found the choroid plexus and cerebrospinal fluid play a key role in maintaining a pool of newly born neurons to repair the adult brain after injury.
WalletHub: 5 best chip and pin credit cards
July 1, 2024
University of Cincinnati director discusses 5 best chip and pin credit cards with WalletHub
WVXU: Supreme Court temporarily blocks key air pollution regulations
July 1, 2024
University of Cincinnati law professor spoke with WVXU about recent Supreme Court decision to temporarily block key air pollution regulations.
Put down that beer; it's not a tanning lotion
July 1, 2024
The University of Cincinnati's Kelly Dobos joined WVXU's Cincinnati Edition to discuss what's fact and what's myth when it comes to sunscreen use, different kinds of sunscreen and a social media recommendation to use beer on your skin to help get a tan.
UC alum visits campus to teach students about footwear design
June 28, 2024
A 2011 graduate of design, UC alum Charley Hudak has seen his career trajectory go from intern to creative director for Tiger Woods' new athletic footwear brand, Sun Day Red. While he may run with the biggest cat in golf, Hudak doesn't forget his Bearcat roots and comes back each summer to teach youth about footwear design at DAAP Camps.
Slate: How the Supreme Court has shaped the US economy
June 28, 2024
University of Cincinnati law professor, Joseph Tomain, wrote a Slate editorial discussion how the Supreme Court has shaped the US economy.
Cincinnati researchers want to know if MRIs can work better
June 28, 2024
WVXU and the Cincinnati Business Courier highlighted a new collaboration between the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, UC Health GE HealthCare, JobsOhio, REDI Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children’s to create an MRI Research and Development Center of Excellence located on UC’s medical campus.
UC opens Blood Cancer Healing Center
June 28, 2024
Media outlets including WLWT, Local 12, Spectrum News, the Cincinnati Enquirer and Cleveland.com highlighted the opening of the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center's Blood Cancer Healing Center.
Financial factors to consider when moving
June 27, 2024
Moving can be a stressful and expensive endeavor. When it comes time to move, there are important financial implications to consider, Gary Painter, PhD, the academic director of the University of Cincinnati’s Carl H. Lindner College of Business real estate program and a professor of real estate, told USA Today.