Your staple summer products — like sunscreen, aloe and bug spray — may need a refresh
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Your staple summer essentials might be in need of an update.
While most summer products in your medicine cabinet or hall closet have a long shelf life — like sunscreen, aloe, bug spray and antihistamines — they still come with expiration dates.
Products past their expiration date aren’t necessarily harmful, but they can cause irritation or become less effective. After a few years, it may be time to reach for replacements.
“I think of it as, I wouldn’t risk drinking milk past the expiration date. I don’t want to harm my stomach,” Dr. Emmy Graber, a Boston-based dermatologist and founder of The Dermatology Institute of Boston, tells PEOPLE.
The same goes for seasonal essentials. “Similarly, I don’t want to harm my skin by using sunscreen past the expiration date,” she adds.
Here are five expired products to consider replacing this summer before you hit the beach or cookout.
01 of 05
Sunscreen
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The FDA requires that all sunscreens be effective at their original strength for at least three years from its manufacture date — after that, their efficacy decreases.
While this means that last year’s sunscreen is likely still good this summer, make sure to check the expiration date.
After three years, “they really can’t guarantee that it lives up to its SPF promise,” says Graber. “It’s not going to give you as much protection as you might have hoped for.”
Once it’s expired, your SPF 30 may be performing a lot less effectively, which can increase your risk of sunburns and skin damage.
It’s important to note that sunscreen that’s not expired can also lose its effectiveness, according to Mayo Clinic. Sunscreen can last for three years if stored properly, but can degrade faster if exposed to heat and sunlight.
In order to avoid this from happening, make sure to keep your SPF in a cool, dry place and not in a hot car or in direct sunlight.
02 of 05
Aloe vera gels
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Your after-sun protection can expire, too.
Most aloe vera gels have a shelf life of around one to three years, when stored properly in a cool, dry place without direct sunlight.
Many store-bought options (as opposed to raw aloe, harvested directly from an aloe vera plant) contain preservatives that lengthen the aloe’s shelf life, but these ingredients can also degrade the product over time.
Once preservatives begin breaking down, aloe vera gel can start to separate or change color, or even develop an odor.
“If it looks like it’s not quite the color it was when you bought it, if it smells, if it looks like it’s separated in the bottle, it really should be thrown away rather than applied,” Graber tells PEOPLE.
She notes that you should be especially careful using expired aloe on broken skin, which can increase your risk of developing an infection.
03 of 05
Hydrocortisone cream
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Summer bug bites and allergies often require the aid of hydrocortisone cream, but the one in the very back of your medicine cabinet from three years ago might not help.
The FDA advises against using expired medicines in all cases, whether over the counter or prescription, including mild steroids like hydrocortisone cream.
Hydrocortisone cream comes in various formulas — from low-grade topicals on the pharmacy shelf to stronger prescription options — but they are necessarily dangerous to use after they’re expired, Graber says. They’ll just be less effective.
“If it’s used past the expiration date, it’s not dangerous. It just simply won’t work as well,” she adds. “It might not be as effective at reducing itching, redness, or inflammation.”
04 of 05
Bug spray or insect repellant
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Depending on the ingredients, your bug spray might need a replacement before you hit the great outdoors this summer.
While bug spray has a long shelf life, once it’s expired it may not repel bugs as effectively as it did when you first bought it. “You might notice that the old bug spray that you just applied may be giving you protection for minutes rather than for hours,” Graber tells PEOPLE.
Depending on the ingredients though, your insect repellant of choice may last a little longer. According to Graber, sprays with DEET and picaridin, two of the most common ingredients, are “pretty indestructible on the shelf.”
On the other hand, natural repellants with essential oils — like lemon, eucalyptus and citronella — may degrade more quickly.
Even though expired insect repellant may not cause harm to your skin, it’s worth replacing the bottle to prevent bites from mosquitoes and other insects. And Graber advises that even though some products claim to have a 10-year shelf life, it’s safer to replace them after three.
05 of 05
Antihistamines and allergy medicine
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Antihistamines and allergy medicines for seasonal allergies have a long shelf-life, though they may lose their effectiveness over time.
In the summer, antihistamines such as Zyrtec, Claritin and Benadryl, along with other allergy medicines, can help relieve symptoms, like sneezing, itchy eyes and runny noses.
Those bottles may live in the back of your cabinet for years — well past their prescribed expiration date. Like other products, antihistamines lose their potency and effectiveness over time.
While there’s no likely harm in using a recently expired capsule to fight your seasonal allergies this summer, it’s always safest to use fresh, up-to-date medications.
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