Oh My Goodness More SPF Talk: Slippery Sunblock and Burning Eyes

Hi Amy:
I have another sunscreen issue to ask about if you’re not too sick of the subject. Sunscreen is really important and I’m glad you take it seriously. Here’s my problem though. Any SPF higher than about 12 or 14 (either standalone or in foundation) burns my eyes after it has been on my face for a while. I don’t put the stuff on my eyelids or right into my eyes, but after a couple of hours, it is like it migrates down from my forehead and into my eyes and they start to sting really bad. Nothing helps except taking out my contact lenses and completely washing my face. That’s not especially practical at 10:00AM at the office or out hiking! Can I get by using the lower SPF? I think the recommended SPF is like 35 but there’s just no way I can wear that without being miserable for more than half the day. Are there any alternatives?
Chellebelle
(The queue is JAM-PACKED with SPF questions right now, people. And since SPF has suddenly become my unofficial mission and purpose in life, right after “gestating a human being,” I feel compelled to answer as many of them as I can.)
(Next up in my battle against our nation’s crow’s feet: good, UV-blocking sunglasses.)
Stinging eyes is actually a pretty common problem — I get them myself if I find myself really sweating on a bad humid day around here, or if I’m out playing tennis or something. (And oh, YEAH, I play just so much tennis these days. Look! Here’s my racket, tucked into my belt in case I get challenged to a pick-up match on my way back to bed.) People with sensitive skin are even more prone to the stinging, even during normal, non-sweaty daily activities.
The culprit is a specific ingredient found in a lot of sunscreens: avobenzone. It’s a UVA-blocker found in “chemical” sunscreens (which absorb and dissipate radiation). And the most popular sunscreens today (including my favorite, Neutrogena Dry-Touch) are chemical sunscreens, because they absorb easily into skin without leaving a film. But even ones labeled “waterproof” or “sweatproof” can cause the stinging, if your skin is sensitive enough to avobenzone.
The other kind of sunscreen is a “physical” sunscreen — with just sits on your face and uses ingredients like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide to simply reflect light off your skin. Some of these are formulated better than others (think big obvious strips of white on your nose and face), but the sun protection is JUST as good as the chemical sunscreens. Or even better for people like you, since you’ll be able to use a higher SPF without the eye-stinging and face-washing.
So you CAN use SPF 30 or even higher, provided you spend a little time reading the ingredient lists. Physical sunscreens are often marketed as “natural” or “hypo-allergenic” sunscreens (although some “natural” brands, like Kiss My Face and Alba, do make versions with avobenzone, so always double-check). Try testing some out at your local Whole Foods or semi-crunchy beauty store and see if you can find one that is cosmetically pleasing to you. Hell, even Sephora has gotten on the natural/organic bandwagon and offers a small selection of chemical-free sun-protection products.
Another option: a better-quality kids’ sunblock. TONS of these are avobenzone-free, since kids tend to rub their faces and eyes a lot, and also designed to absorb quickly since small children on the beach are not known for their patience during sunblock applications.
So I’ve compiled a little list of avobenzone-free sunscreens for you — please note that I haven’t personally used any of these, so I’m not sure of the skin-clogging or invisibility index for them — but they are highly recommended for athletes who sweat a lot and for people with very sensitive skin and eyes. (A couple links go to drugstore.com, where you can also read reviews from actual users, which are pretty helpful for determining whether this is something you want on your face.)

, $15.49
SkinCeuticals Sport UV Defense SPF 45, $35
, $10.29
, $7.61 (I believe they make a higher-SPF version, though I couldn’t find it online.)
, $15.99
Juice Beauty SPF 30 Tinted Moisturizer, $29
Korres Watermelon Sunscreen Face Cream, SPF 30, $28
This is by no means an exhaustive list, because you are soooo not alone in the stinging problem. These creams should stay put and not irritate your eyes, so if you can find one that you can at least tolerate for using on your forehead, your days of 10 am face-washings should be behind you.

Related Articles:
– How Often Should I Apply Sunscreen to My Face?
– Wearing SPF to Bed = Do Not Want
– Preemptive Strike: Should You Use Anti-Aging Products in Your Early 20s?