How to Remove Sunblock From Your Eyes and Someone Else's

A complete guide to relieving the irritating burn of sunscreen in your eyes

Co-authored by Kelly Chu and Luke Smith, MFA

Last Updated: January 11, 2023 References

Flushing Your Eyes

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Prevention

A little sunscreen in the eyes happens to the best of us, but that doesn’t mean it stings any less. Hang in there, because we’re here to get you out of this mess (and to get this mess out of your eyes). If you can, keep those lids open long enough to read our simple guide on how to remove sunscreen from your eyes or someone else’s, and how to prevent this from happening again on your next beach day.

Things You Should Know

Wash your hands with warm water and soap, and remove your contacts as soon as possible.
Position your face beneath a faucet and let a warm, gentle stream of water flow over your eyes, or pour water from a clean glass into your eyes as you tip your head back.
Calm and comfort a small child with sunscreen in their eyes while you tilt their head back and gently pour a glass of water or eye drops into the inner corner of their eye.
Use mineral-formula sunscreen or sunscreen stick around your eyes, wear sunglass, and help small children apply sunscreen to prevent further problems.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Flushing Your Eyes

1
Wash your hands, if possible, and keep them away from your eyes. Your instinct will be to rub the sunscreen out of your eyes in order to get something out of them, but remember, there’s still sunscreen on your fingers! If possible, wash your hands with soap and warm water before you go any further.^{[1]
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Trustworthy Source
Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source} A thorough rinse will do if you don’t have soap on-hand.
- If you’re helping someone else remove sunscreen from their eyes, reassure them with a soothing voice and move them to a well-lit spot, seating them in a position that gives you easy access to their face.
2
Remove your contacts, if you wear them. With clean hands, take out your contacts and place them somewhere safe, so you can rinse them off in contact solution later. Contacts aren’t doing this situation any favors—the sunscreen may have worked its way between them and your eyes, worsening the problem.^{[2]
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Trustworthy Source
Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source}

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3
Rinse your eyes with warm water under a running faucet for 15 minutes. In a bathroom, set a faucet to a gentle flow of lukewarm water. Bend over and position your eye under the faucet, turning your head as necessary. Let the water flow across your face so that it passes over your eye, and hold your eye open to rinse it. Continue to do so for about 15 minutes, to completely flush the sunscreen from your eye.^{[3]
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Trustworthy Source
Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source}
- Alternatively, step into the shower. Then, with your face tilted toward the shower head, let a gentle stream of warm water flow from your forehead down into your held-open eye.
4
Pour warm water over your open eyes if you don't have faucet access. Use a clean cup filled with warm water to rinse the eyes. With your head tilted back, rest the edge of the cup on the bone just beneath your eye. Then gently tilt the cup to spill water into your eye socket, holding your eye open with your free hand.^{[4]
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Trustworthy Source
Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source}
5
Alternatively, apply eye drops to the inner corner of your eye. Squeeze a few drops, then do your best to open your eye, blinking rapidly to allow the liquid to rinse the surface of your eye. Use mild, moisturizing eye drops—avoid any that say “super cleaning” on the label or include hydrogen peroxide on their ingredients list, as these can further harm and already irritated eye.^{[5]
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Trustworthy Source
Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source}
- Use eye drops in addition to warm water to better flush your eye, restore moisture, and soothe irritation after the first rinse.
6
Rest your eyes for 15-30 minutes. Move to a shady or dim area and keep your eyes closed for a while. Your eyes have just been through a lot and are most likely reddened and still a bit irritated, and will need a chance to recover.^{[6]
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Trustworthy Source
U.S. National Capital Poison Center
Independent poison control center providing resources to prevent poisonings and save lives
Go to source} Wet a wash cloth with cold water and lay it over your eyes to help relieve some pain as you recover.
- If your eyes still sting after a few hours, contact emergency services for help. If you’re helping someone else, have them tell you how they’re feeling every so often.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Prevention

1
Spray sunscreen on your hands, not your face. It’s so tempting to just aim and spray, we know, but that’s a recipe for disaster. Instead, spray that sunscreen into your hands, give it a few rubs, then apply it to your face with your fingers, This allows for more deliberate application.^{[7]
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Trustworthy Source
American Academy of Dermatology
Professional organization made of over 20,000 certified dermatologists
Go to source} In addition, stick sunscreens also allow for easier application that lessens the chance of eye irritation.^{[8]
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Research source}
2
Use mineral-formula sunscreen around your eyes. Mineral-based sunscreens, also known as physical sunscreens, such as those made with zinc or titanium dioxide, are generally more gentle on the skin and accordingly, won’t irritate your eyes as much if they happen to find their way in.^{[9]
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Research source}
3
Help small children apply sunscreen, and keep it out of their reach. Kids aren’t the best at thorough and proper sunscreen application (and you can’t really blame them). Their little hands are more likely to deposit a glob of sunscreen right into their eyes. To avert this, help your kid with sunscreen application, and teach them to be careful around their eyes as you do.^{[10]
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- Also, keep your sunscreen on a high shelf or locked cabinet, where they’re unlikely to find and use it unsupervised.
4
Rub the sunscreen in completely. This serves a dual purpose: first, it ensures that the sunscreen is completely absorbed and can more effectively protect you from UV rays.^{[11]
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Trustworthy Source
American Academy of Dermatology
Professional organization made of over 20,000 certified dermatologists
Go to source} As an added bonus, thoroughly rubbing the sunscreen into your skin ensures that no stray or excess sunscreen can slide into your eyes as you go about your day.
5
Wear sunglasses for added protection. Of course, it’s important to protect your thinnest, most sensitive skin (like the area around your eyes) from harmful UV rays, but you can take some pressure off the sunscreen situation by wearing large, dark sunglasses, as well. Top it off with a wide-brimmed hat to stay cool and safe on your sunny days outside.^{[12]
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Research source}