Q&A: Should you apply sunscreen to your eyel

Q&A: Should you apply sunscreen to your eyelids?

Bright sun sunscreen After spending a day out in the sun, my eyelids get red and sore as if they were sunburned. Should I put sunscreen on them? —A.G., Port Chester, N.Y.

That depends. It’s safe to apply sunscreen to eyelids, but swimming or sweating may cause it to run into your eyes and irritate them. You may have better luck using a moisturizer or eye cream with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher, which is absorbed more easily into the lid and less prone to run into your eyes. The best strategy might be to wear wraparound sunglasses that block ultraviolet (UV) light and a wide-brimmed hat to protect both the delicate skin around your eyes and the clear membrane covering the front of the eyeball. (In severe cases that membrane can get burned, a condition called snow blindness because it often happens in winter when the snow reflects sunlight.)

Check out our sunscreen poll for more on who's more likely to use sunscreenmen or women. And take a look at our latest Ratings (subscribers only) to find out which 3 sunscreens performed better than the rest.

Subscribe now!
Subscribe to ConsumerReports.org for expert Ratings, buying advice and reliability on hundreds of products.


Update your feed preferences

Source:Q&A: Should you apply sunscreen to your eyelids?

Comments
Leave a Comment Below »
Your Name
Your Email Address
Your Comment
Want your picture next to your comment?
Join Gravatar and upload your photo, completely free! (opens in new window)