There’s nothing quite as annoying as putting sunscreen on before a day outside, then spending the next half-hour blinking, wiping your eyes and wondering why you did that to yourself. You did the sensible thing by protecting yourself, but now you can’t stop thinking about whether there’s a sunscreen that doesn’t burn eyes when it gets near them.
It’s not enough to stop you wanting to put sunscreen on (who needs sunburn at any time in their life, right?), but it can make you less keen to put some on when you need to. The area around your eyes is just as susceptible to the sun, if not more so than the rest of your body, so not wearing it there isn’t really an option.
It can change from one product to the next, too, so it’s natural to wonder, is there even a product out there that won’t if it gets into your eyes? Our blog explores what you need to know.
Looking for Sunscreen that Doesn’t Burn Eyes? Here’s Why You Need It
Sunscreen usually starts becoming a problem when it starts moving from where it was applied. You put it on carefully enough, but before too long, you’re getting that telltale sting that you can’t ignore. You can’t ignore it because it’s that uncomfortable when it happens – which is clearly often enough for us to be writing a blog about searching for sunscreen that doesn’t burn eyes.
Most often, it doesn’t mean the sunscreen is “bad” as such. Sometimes it’s just the formula, whereas other times it might be to do with how close it was applied to the area or that your eyes are just more sensitive than other people’s.
It can occur for a host of reasons.
- When you sweat, it can mix with the sunscreen you’ve applied and make it slip down from your forehead and into your eyes.
- Rubbing your eyes can move more of the product closer to the lash line, so you should try your best to resist touching it.
- Lotions can spread more than you expect once skin gets warm, as you’ll sweat more, which it’s more likely to do when your forehead’s smothered by sunscreen.
- Spray sunscreens are one of the main reasons it gets in people’s eyes, particularly on windy days when people forget to spray it into their hands first.
- Some formulas feel harsher around sensitive eyes than others for some people, but in the main, zinc oxide-based mineral products tend to sting less.
That’s why finding a sunscreen that doesn’t burn eyes is partly about choosing the right formula, but also about knowing which is the best way to apply it, as there are a number of options.
Why Mineral Sunscreen Sticks Are Often Better Around the Eyes
If your sunscreen always seems to end up with you having stinging eyes, it might not just be one thing causing the problem. Of course, the formula matters, as we’ve just seen, but the delivery method also plays a big part in how much discomfort the wearer has. That brings us rather neatly to mineral sunscreen sticks, which are great for the eye area.
They don’t give you any sort of guarantee that your eyes will never sting, but the mess-free way they allow you to get sun protection can make all the difference, as you can see below.
- Mineral sunscreens use filters like zinc oxide, which many people with sensitive skin prefer around the face. That doesn’t mean every mineral sunscreen will suit every person, but if regular sunscreen stings your eyes no matter what you do, it’s worth a look.
- A stick gives you much more control. When you use a sunscreen lotion, it’s very easy to let it spread further than you meant it to. Sprays, too, can be hard to aim neatly around the face if there’s any sort of breeze.
A sunscreen stick, on the other hand, lets you apply SPF more carefully around places like the forehead, temples, nose and cheekbones, just like you would a body paint stick, meaning virtually no mess is created.
- It’s less likely to run than a thin lotion. Sticks act differently after you put them on, too. They’re thicker, so they’re less likely to run, even if you sweat.
A mineral sunscreen stick won’t stop the eye sting for everyone, because people react differently and anything can irritate if it gets directly into the eye. But if your usual sunscreen keeps causing problems, a mineral stick gives you a super gentle alternative that’s virtually mess-free.
Free Yourself from Discomfort With Sunscreen That Doesn’t Burn Eyes
If the sunscreen you swear by keeps making your eyes sting, the answer isn’t to leave your face under-protected and hope for the best. Your forehead, nose, cheeks and temples will still get plenty of sun either way, so wearing some is non-negotiable in terms of sun safety.
That’s why anyone who has this problem should try a mineral sunscreen stick for a far more controlled experience with very little stinging involved. Again, there’s never a guarantee that the stinging won’t happen, but when you take the major causes away, it’s that much less likely to happen.
