Many products come with a clear and obvious date you need to use the buy our think about throwing them away.
Food and other items will often have dates stamped on them showing when they should be used by, when they are best before or when they expire.
But what many people don't know is that sun cream also comes with a use-by date, thanks to a symbol on the back of the bottle,
With the weather set to be warm for days ahead it is worth checking whether your sun cream is still in date.
If it isn't it may not give the protection you need and could lead to burns and a higher risk of skin cancer.
Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis explained the simple way to check your cream speaking to Ben Shephard and Kate Garraway on Good Morning Britain last summer.
Neither of the hosts were aware of the tip, which could protect you from painful and possibly dangerous sunburn.
Martin revealed that the back of a sunscreen bottle includes a number, such as 12M, 18M or 24M.
This is different from the SPF protection factor which all bottles carry - showing how much protection they will offer when you apply them properly.
Martin said the number reveals how long the contents of the bottle will remain usable after the bottle has been open.
After 12months, 18months or 24months the contents will have broken down to the point where they may not be effective any more - meaning the bottle should be thrown away and replaced with fresh sunscreen.
Martin also revealed that sunscreen bought from a pound shop is as effective as any other - so long as it carried the same SPF ratings. He said you should stick to at least Factor 30.
