Your sunscreen is probably expired.

Yes. Sunscreen absolutely expires, and using old sunscreen is basically wearing placebo lotion. You get the feeling of protection without the actual protection.

The easiest check is the expiration date printed on the bottle. If there’s no date, assume it’s good for about three years from purchase. Past that, the active ingredients break down and stop blocking UV rays.

If the bottle has no date and you’ve had it longer than a summer, look at the texture. If it’s separated, watery, clumpy, or smells weird (like paint or chemicals), toss it. Even if it looks fine, if you’re unsure, buy new. Sunburn is a lot more expensive than a new bottle.

That half-empty tube from two years ago? It belongs in the trash.