Giraffe Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Please don't think you're being smart or thrifty by using up last year's sunscreen bottle this summer. I spent yesterday on a boat and thought I'd do just that. I diligently applied and re-applied several times over the course of the day. SPF 50. I am a lobster, a well-done one at that, today. I am in agony. Thank goodness DD is half Turkish and has "tougher" skin than I do. She is fine, just a little pink across her cheeks and nose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
songsparrow Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Yes, the chemical-based sunscreens lose their effectiveness over time and should be replaced each year. The physical sunblocks (where the sunblock protection is made from finely ground titanium oxide or zinc oxide), in contrast, have lasted several years for me without losing effectiveness. I hope your sunburn feels better quickly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 I write the the year I purchased my sunscreen on the tube every season. I use zinc oxide based so they are a block and though I haven't noticed loss in effectiveness, if I find one 2 years old I toss it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theYoungerMrsWarde Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 This is very good to know, I did not know this! Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Oh, I am so sorry. Sunburns are so painful. Try taking a couple aspirin or whatever you use when you have a fever. It really does help to lower your body temp and to reduce pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted June 24, 2013 Author Share Posted June 24, 2013 Oh, I am so sorry. Sunburns are so painful. Try taking a couple aspirin or whatever you use when you have a fever. It really does help to lower your body temp and to reduce pain. Didn't think of this. Taking something now. Maybe tonight I'll sleep. Thank you!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 I always check the expiration date on the bottles. So far so good. Yeah, sunburns are terrible. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RemsMom Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 I'm sorry about your sunburn. I purchase sunscreen in the spring each year and anything left over from the summer before gets tossed even if the expiration date says it is still good. Try tea for your sunburn. Brew really strong tea and add ice so it will be cold. Take an old towel and soak it in the tea and then squeeze out the towel so it won't drip and lay it on your sunburn for 20-30 minutes. DD22 did this a couple of years ago when she got a sunburn and said it really took the pain away. Just don't get tea on anything you don't want stained! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 Ouch! Hope your burn feels better soon! P.s. my dad just read about stuff you can add to your laundry to help make your clothing more sun protective too. https://sunguardsunprotection.com/ If my link doesn't work just google sunguard detergent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datgh Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 I read an article about sunscreen losing its effectiveness just this past weekend. I never realized it before either. I think I have been lucky over the last couple of years. Just purchased all new tubes and am searching the house for old ones. Hope you feel better soon. My daughter got really burned last year. (could have been due to one of those ancient bottles I had around.) she found a product with aloe vera in it and used it quite liberally to get relief from the burn plus she took tylenol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 I've always wanted to try Sunguard, but I've never got around to it. I believe it is made by RIT, the cloth dye company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 Vinegar also works with taking out the sting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 the tannins in tea help to stop the burn and reduce the amount of damage-- vinegar works really well too. My children were burned pretty badly a couple of weeks ago and I did both--- they smelled like pickles for a couple of days but I could see a difference in the treated and untreated sections. Just keep a bowl of vinegar and re wet a paper towel every 30 minutes or so. (sit near a fan too) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilaclady Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 I did not know this. We are still using the ones I got last fall but they are almost all gone and I was thinking of getting some this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 Here is the Environmental Working Group's 2013 guide for sunscreens: http://www.ewg.org/2013sunscreen/ Here is info about how EWG rates the various sunscreens: http://www.ewg.org/2013sunscreen/about/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyJoy Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 Good idea to get the word out! I feel your pain. My best friend and I learned this the hard way when I was 16. We spent 2 hours at a water park after having diligently applied sunblock and ended up with horrible burns. She was still peeling skin off her shoulders for 6 months and it took that long for my "tan lines" to go away. My parents always had tons of random old medications and bottles of sunblock because my dad never passes up a sale (and never actually uses sunblock!). I make sure I bring/buy my own sunblock when I visit them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dakarimom5 Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 One other thing about old sunscreen is it can separate. My mil put old sunscreen on my boys this past weekend and they both got a rash within minutes. I had mentioned that it looked odd to me a few weeks ago. It was a brownish color. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 Ouch! Was the sunscreen expired? I generally use up my sunscreen and have to buy new each year, but if I DID have some leftover and I COULD find it, I would think it was good if it wasn't expired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 Strange. I have been using the same gaint bottle for a few years, no problems. Well I suppose it's because we don't use it often and I want to finish off the bottle I lather the stuff on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted June 25, 2013 Author Share Posted June 25, 2013 I don't know if it was expired, there's no date on it. But I've used this brand successfully before so I have to guess it went bad, expired, something. There's actually a less burned spot on one shoulder where I sprayed it on, so there was some efficacy, just not 100%. Oh well, lesson learned. As painful as this is I'm really glad DD didn't get burned. She's got tough skin, thanks to her daddy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted June 25, 2013 Author Share Posted June 25, 2013 The links Stacia provided above indicated that the FDA is changing the regs to not allow such claims. Apparently it's not really possible. Here in Turkey the highest I've seen is SPF 50+. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisbeth Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 I argue w dh about this every year. He wants to use up the old stuff. I throw it out. He thinks I am overly cautious. I win, because I won't let my readheads burn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RemsMom Posted June 26, 2013 Share Posted June 26, 2013 Yikes. Let him use it up on himself, then, and put new stuff on everybody else! I agree! The only reason I know that sunscreen expires is because I read it on the internet years ago. I live in the southwest and my daughters took after DH and have very fair skin so sunscreen is a must. As I said in my previous post, I purchase sunscreen in the spring and keep it over the winter (in case one of my older children gets a chance to go skiing). When I purchase the new sunscreen the next spring everything from the previous year goes in the garbage. It is just not worth the risk. And to the OP. I'm so glad your DD was OK. In my family DS and I are the ones who burn the least so I am always watching my girls and DH when we are in the sun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyinTN Posted June 26, 2013 Share Posted June 26, 2013 I've heard coconut oil will help with the pain...I'm attaching an article I read recently about it. http://www.blogher.com/coconut-oil-sunburns-just-time-summer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted June 26, 2013 Author Share Posted June 26, 2013 I argue w dh about this every year. He wants to use up the old stuff. I throw it out. He thinks I am overly cautious. I win, because I won't let my readheads burn. Yikes. Let him use it up on himself, then, and put new stuff on everybody else! I agree too! To the poster who recommended cold tea compresses - THANK YOU! They were heavenly and the red is much less now. And less sting too!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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