Sometimes my suntan lotion seeps into my eyes and ... oh, man, the burn! Needless to say, it's not always easy to get to a sink at the beach to wash the stuff out. How do I prevent sunscreen from going into my eyes?
ANSWER:
When you’re enjoying the summer sunshine, nothing spoils the fun faster than the crippling pain of sunscreen finding its way into your eyes. It’s a common problem that can be easily fixed if you follow a few simple rules:
1. Start by using a high-quality sweatproof/waterproof broad spectrum sunscreen
with the highest sun protection factor (SPF) available. These preparations bind to the skin much better than their non-waterproof counterparts and are a great first step in preventing eye irritation caused by sunscreen.
2.
Wear a sports hat with a built-in sweatband, which will channel perspiration away from your eyes. Not all activities lend themselves to wearing headgear, but remember that hats not only keep sunscreen out of your eyes, but also play an important part in protecting you from the sun.
3.
Carefully apply sunscreen around the orbit of the eye. You can go a little closer on the underside, using the bone as your guide. Luckily, the brows tend to shield the upper eyelids, and we rarely see skin cancers there, but as added protection, always wear sunglasses when possible.
As a final step, look for the Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal
of Recommendation on the sunscreens you use. (Check out SkinCancer.org.) That
will help you choose a reliable product: The organization’s approval process
includes validating the SPF numbers and substantiating claims of water/sweat
resistance.
About the Expert
Dr. Lucinda S.
Buescher
is an associate professor of dermatology and the chief
coordinator of the Simmons Cooper Cancer Institute’s Melanoma Center at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.
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