Customer question: does bacteria from your hands contaminate sunscreen

Here's why bacteria from your hands doesn't contaminate our sunscreen

A big shoutout to all our amazing customers who’ve been sending in questions about sunscreen SPF and how our products work. Your curiosity and engagement mean the world to me, and I absolutely love hearing from you.

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Today, I want to address a question asked recently on Facebook:

"What is the expiry date since you have to use your hands to get the sunblock out of the tin? Hands contain bacteria, would this transfer into the product and contaminate it? "

TLDR

For those of you wanting a quick answer, here is the 'too long didn't read' (TLDR) summary:

✅ The best before date is printed on the side of each tin. It's two years from the date it was manufactured

❌ The bacteria from hands can't survive or grow in our sunscreen because it doesn't contain water.

Why Bacteria Doesn't Grow in Our Sunscreen

Bacteria need moisture in order to grow and since our products are waterless, they are not a friendly environment for bacteria which is good news!

The Evidence 

We have had our product stability tested and a recommended "best before" date is printed on the side of the tin. This is 2 years from the date of manufacture...however even after this date is passed it should still be good to use as the SPF of a mineral sunscreen (like ours) is unlikely to change drastically (whereas chemical sunscreens do actually expire and are not effective after this date). Hope that helps! 

All Things Sunscreen: Frequently Asked Questions

For those who haven’t yet reached out, I encourage you to join the conversation by sending in your questions and feedback via social media! Your input is invaluable, and I'm always here to listen and help, responding personally to all of your questions and feedback. Remember, you are what makes Seasick Sunscreen great, and together, we can make it even better. Thank you for being an essential part of our community!

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