Martin Lewis has a GENIUS tip for saving money on sun cream

Martin Lewis always has handy tips to help you save your pounds, but this one will come especially handy during the summer break...

We all love holidays and sunny days out, but it’s absolutely vital we protect our skin against sunburn. Most of us feel the need to rush out and grab bottles right before a holiday, but turns out, you might not need to.

Money Saving Expert’s Martin Lewis has a simple trick to help you save money on sun cream, and it’s so much easier than you might think. His solution? Turn bottles around and have a look at what’s on the back.

As it happens, sun cream has a much longer shelf life than some people realise. To check how long your bottle is good for, simply flip it over and look for the open tub icon. It should have a little number next to it, indicating how long it’s okay to use after opening.

This icon and number is known as the ‘period after opening’ (PAO).

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In the case of the above image, it’s okay to use for 12 months, after which you should throw it away and get a new one - if you haven’t used all of it on your holidays, that is!

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Sun creams definitely go out of date, so you should keep track of how old it is. The British Skin Foundation says: 'Sun tan lotions may, given time, start to separate and become less effective, so it's always worth noting down on the bottle when it was first opened.'

They also recommend storing your sun cream in a cool, dark place, and (ironically) don’t leave the bottle in direct sunlight for long periods of time.

But despite the PAO number being present, the British Skin Foundation have advised consumers to throw away sun cream which they believe to have passed its best before date, just in case.

So there we go, always remember to check the dates on your sun creams before you head off on holiday. Either you'll save yourself some money, or need to buy some more!