Does sunscreen have to be expensive to protect well?
Radio 2, 27 July 2023
Dr Griet Voet on Radio 2 about sunscreen: why expensive is not necessary and how long an opened tube still protects properly.
On Radio 2 aan Zee, Dr Griet Voet talked about sunscreen. According to her, an expensive product is not needed to be well protected: the price difference is mainly down to additional ingredients.
She also pointed out the shelf life after opening. An opened tube does not expire straight away, but the UV filters gradually lose their strength, so a cream protects less the following year than the label states. A tube that has been open for more than two years is best not used any more. She advises against using old sunscreen as body lotion; after-sun is a better choice for that.
Key advice
An expensive sunscreen does not necessarily protect better.
Check the shelf life after opening; UV filters weaken over time.
Do not use sunscreen that has been open for more than two years.
Do not use old sunscreen as body lotion; choose an after-sun instead.
“Expensive sunscreen is completely unnecessary, it mainly contains lots of extra ingredients” — Dr Griet Voet