Anyone buying sunscreen over the bank holiday weekend has been urged to turn it around and look at the back
MoneySavingExpert (MSE) has urged anyone buying sunscreen to turn the bottle around. The consumer website, founded by Martin Lewis, explained that the tip could help shoppers save money.
Posting on Instagram, the consumer experts revealed the tip could be ideal for anyone stocking up for the hot bank holiday weekend. MoneySavingExpert explained: “If you turn your sunscreen around, on the back you should find the ‘period after opening’ (PAO) number. This number tells you how many months it should still protect you after you first use it, usually 12 or 24 months.
“This way, if you have some left over next year, or even the year after, you’ll know if it’ll still work (and maybe you’ll save some cash)! And if you’ve got some you know is past its prime, don’t chuck it out – it can be used as a body lotion!”
MoneySavingExpert added that you can write the date on the bottle when you open it, so you’ll know when it runs out. Or, as a commenter pointed out, you could write down the expiry date.
The tip could be ideal for the May bank holiday, given the Met Office’s forecast of highs of 33°C this weekend. Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster, Steve Kocher, said: “Temperatures will climb through the weekend, especially in the south, where 30°C is likely to be recorded on Saturday and 32°C on Sunday. Temperatures are forecast to peak on Monday when we could see 33°C recorded in southern England and the Midlands.”
Families should take care to enjoy the sun responsibly during the heatwave. The NHS says people should spend time in the shade when the sun is strongest, between 11am and 3pm from March to October in the UK.
The health authority warns: “Sunburn increases your risk of skin cancer. Sunburn does not just happen on holiday. You can burn in the UK, even when it’s cloudy.
“There’s no safe or healthy way to get a tan. A tan does not protect your skin from the sun’s harmful effects. Aim to strike a balance between protecting yourself from the sun and getting enough vitamin D from sunlight.”
The NHS advises using at least factor 30 sunscreen and reapplying it frequently. You can also cover up with suitable clothing and sunglasses. “Do not rely on sunscreen alone to protect yourself from the sun. Wear suitable clothing and spend time in the shade when the sun’s at its hottest,” it adds.
Shoppers should look for at least 4-star UVA protection when buying sunscreen, says the NHS. The letters UVA in a circle indicate that the product meets the EU standard.
