Healthy strategies for vacation time--consider sunscreen

       One more sunscreen issue:  sunscreens lose their effectiveness and expire.  I’ve heard people say we should buy a new sunscreen every year.  According the American Academy of Dermatology, the FDA requires all sunscreens to have an effective life of three years.  The problem lies in the fact that date labeling isn’t required.  When we purchase a bottle of sunscreen and there’s no expiration date on it, we cannot know when to discard it.  One recommendation says we should write the date of purchase on the sunscreen so you have a guideline on how long you have had it.  (My personal opinion is that I will buy a new bottle of sunscreen for any vacation trip where the sun exposure is intense.  A sunburn is painful and can spoil a vacation).  More information can be found at the American Academy of Dermatology website at http://www.aad.org/media-resources/stats-and-facts/prevention-and-care/sunscreens