You might use your tanning lotion every week and go through a bottle once a month, or you might use it sporadically and store it in the back of your cupboard.
If you sound more like the latter, you might be wondering if the tanning lotion sitting in the back of your cupboard is still fine to use.
How long do tanning lotions last? Most tanning lotions come with an expiration date on the bottle, and it is worth following. The general rule is to not use the tanning lotion after a year past the opening date. The ingredients in the tanning lotion might lose their effectiveness over time, and this means the tanning lotion will not work as well.
Like most beauty products, tanning lotion does expire, so it helps to know the ins and out of how long tanning lotions last, and when they are best used by.
Does Tanning Lotion Expire?
If you look at a tanning lotion bottle, you might notice an expiration date, or at least the recommended time you can use the opened lotion before you should throw it away.
Generally, tanning lotions last for up to a year before they start losing effectiveness. The tanning lotion might not expire obviously, but the effectiveness of the lotion will begin to decline.
How you store the tanning lotion will also determine how long it lasts for. It is advised to keep the tanning lotion in a sealed bottle in a cool, dark environment, to help it last a little longer.
Just keep in mind that the tanning lotion you have in the back of your cupboard will not last indefinitely, and you should check for an expiration date on the bottle to know when it should be used by!
Can You Use Tanning Lotion Which Has Expired?
There won’t be much harm done by using a tanning lotion that has expired, except that the lotion will not be effective at helping you tan, and it might not nourish and hydrate your skin like it would have before it expired.
An expired tanning lotion will be less likely to give you an even tan and will be less likely to give your skin extra nourishment to withstand the effects of the UV rays in the tanning bed.
One of the benefits of using a tanning lotion is to hydrate and nourish your skin while it is exposed to UV rays, which helps build a healthy-looking tan, and prevents peeling, to maintain your tan for longer.
If you use an expired lotion, you might not get the best of the moisture it has to offer, and this can lead to patchy tanning and burnt skin, which can then lead to peeling!
When using an indoor tanning bed, you need to give your skin proper protection and nourishment to not only build a good tan but to have it last for longer as well.
How Do You know If Tanning Lotion Has Expired?
It isn’t really easy to tell if tanning lotion has expired, as there will be no obvious signs of expiration. It will not go bad like some other products do, and an expired lotion might seem similar to a new lotion you’ve just opened.
The best thing to do is to look for an expiration date on the tanning lotion bottle. This is the easiest way to determine whether or not the tanning lotion is past its best-by date, and whether you should continue using it or not.
There are a few other ways to check whether the lotion has expired, but this will only be if the lotion has been left to sit for a long time:
Color
The tanning lotion color might change over time. This is because the lotion would be in contact with air, and over time it might evaporate slightly, and the color might be altered because of this.
Consistency
The consistency of the tanning lotion might change once it has expired. The ingredients might begin to separate, such as the oils and other ingredients.
This could cause the lotion to become too watery, or it might become lumpy. If the lotion has changed consistency, it might make it difficult to apply it evenly, which then leads to a patchy tan.
Smell
The tanning lotion might lose some of its scent over time, as the fragrance or essential oils could fade once the tanning lotion has expired. If the lotion does not have the same scent that it did when you first bought it, then it could be because it has started to expire and lose its effectiveness.
Tips To Store Tanning Lotion
Tanning lotion can be quite expensive, so you need to try and store your tanning lotion properly to ensure it lasts as long as possible.
Here is how to properly store tanning lotion, keep it in the best condition possible, and be able to use it even when it has passed its expiration date:
Store At Room Temperature
It is so important to keep the tanning lotion at room temperature. It needs to be stored out of direct sunlight, and in a cool, dim area. A bathroom cupboard is ideal for this, as long as it is away from a heat source and moisture.
Keep It Sealed
Exposure to air or moisture can cause the tanning lotion to lose its effectiveness quite quickly, so you do need to keep the lid sealed tightly and make sure that the bottle is not broken or dented.
A sealed tanning lotion will last much longer, and a sealed bottle will keep the lotion as effective as possible until it does expire.
Do Not Leave Tanning Lotion In Your Car
It can become a habit to leave the tanning lotion in your car, for when you pop out to the tanning salon to spend some time in the sunbed.
This does mean that you will never forget the tanning lotion at home, but you really should not leave tanning lotion in the car.
The inside of your car can heat up quickly and quite a bit during the day, and this can lead to the tanning lotion losing its effectiveness, as the heat can damage some of the ingredients in the tanning lotion.
Does Self-Tanner Go Bad?
Just like tanning lotion, self-tanner does go bad. There are certain ingredients in self-tanner that expire after a certain amount of time.
One such ingredient is DHA, which is responsible for changing the color of your skin to develop a tan. Once DHA expires, it loses effectiveness, and this can lead to a really patchy self-tan that does not last long at all!
Using an expired self-tanner will not give you your desired results, and you will have streaks and splotches all over that just do not look right. There is also a chance that the expired self-tanner will leave a strange smell on your skin too.
To tell whether the self-tanner has expired, take a look at the expiration date on the bottle. Other signs include the self-tanner smelling different and quite chemical-like, changing color, and turning watery or lumpy.
Like with tanning lotion, store self-tanner in a dark, cool and dry area, and make sure to take note of the expiration date so you know when to use the self-tanner by.
Does Tanning Lotion Expire?
Tanning lotion does expire, but it does not expire as obviously as some other products do. Almost all beauty products come with an expiration date on the bottle or a time frame in which the product should be used by, so take note of this to make the most of your tanning lotion.
You can use tanning lotion which has expired, but it might not be as effective as it was when first opened. It might not hydrate and nourish your skin as well as it should, and this could cause your skin to burn a little more in a tanning bed and cause your skin to peel after tanning.
To ensure your tan is as even and beautiful as can be, and that your skin is nourished during tanning, then make sure to keep a check on the expiration date on the bottle and use the tanning lotion before then.
Related Questions
What happens if you use an old self-tanner?
The chemicals in an expired self-tanner will not be as effective as a new self-tanner. Your skin might not absorb the product evenly, and this leads to blemishes and patches of darker color.
The ingredients that help to care for your skin might not be as effective either, so your skin might be left dry after using the self-tanner.
How do you remove self-tanner?
If you have used a self-tanner that has expired and it has left your skin patchy, then you might want to remove it. The best way to remove self-tanner is to exfoliate your skin with a body scrub. Do so gently to not damage your skin.
You could also use lemon juice or white vinegar to remove the fake tan from your skin. Baby oil can also be applied and left on for a while before being removed along with the self-tanner.
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