If you find yourself with sunscreen in your eyes, it's important to act quickly to minimize discomfort and prevent further complications. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to effectively remove sunscreen from your eyes without causing further irritation.
1. Ditch the Contacts
If you're wearing contact lenses, the first step is to remove them immediately. They're effectively holding onto any sunscreen that might have gotten into your eyes. Once the contacts are out, you can proceed with the next steps.
2. Quick Clean-Up
Gently wipe away any excess sunscreen from around your eyes with a soft cloth or cotton ball. Be gentle to avoid rubbing your eyes, as this could make the situation worse. If there's a lot of sunscreen, you might want to use a cotton swab or a small paper towel to carefully remove it.
3. Flush Your Eyes
Next, you should start flushing your eyes with clean water. If you have access to preservative-free artificial tears or a sterile saline solution, use those to flush the sunscreen out of your eyes. If not, clean water will work just as well. Blink regularly to help flush out any toxins naturally. Make sure to keep your eye open while flushing to ensure all the sunscreen is cleared from your eye.
4. Drop the Good Stuff
To ease the burn, use eye drops without preservatives (sometimes called preservative-free artificial tears) every hour. If you wear contact lenses, remove them immediately after getting sunscreen in your eye. Wait a bit after you've gone through the rinse and blink procedures to assess if you still feel discomfort or if the burn persists. In cases of persistent severe pain, vision changes, or worsening irritation after the flushing procedure, make an appointment with your eye care professional for an evaluation.
5. Take a Break from Wearing Contacts
Give your eyes a solid 48 hours without contacts. They need some space to heal. If the pain or irritation doesn't subside after 48 hours, you may have an infection or other issues that require medical attention.
6. Cool Down
If things are still feeling spicy, take a timeout. Close your eyes and go for a cold compress or an ice pack to take the edge off. This can help relieve some of the discomfort and speed up the recovery process.
After you've followed these steps, your eyes may still be a bit blurry or watery, but the acute discomfort and irritation should have subsided. If the pain persists or worsens, it's a good idea to consult with an eye care professional for a proper evaluation.
Prevention Tips
To avoid getting sunscreen in your eyes in the future, it's important to avoid contact with your eyelids and to be careful when applying sunscreen. Here are some prevention tips to help reduce the risk:
- Always apply sunscreen to your face with your hands rather than spraying directly on your face.
- Choose sunscreen products that are marked as "eye-safe" or "ophthalmologist-tested."
- Opt for a sunscreen stick or a physical sunscreen made with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide to minimize the chances of eye irritation.
- Don't let children apply sunscreen on their own, and keep the sunscreen out of reach to prevent accidental applications.
- Use sunglasses or larger hats to protect your eyes from the sun when applying sunscreen.
- Regularly inspect your sunscreen for ingredients that can irritate the eye area, such as avobenzone, homosalate, octinoxate, octisalate, and octocrylene.
By taking these precautions, you can help ensure that sunscreen remains a fun and enjoyable part of summer, without any unwanted eye irritation.
