This is not the way you are supposed to use sunscreen. The directions on a sunscreen bottle typically do not say: 1. Open bottle 2. Squeeze some sunscreen on your fingers and hands. 3. Put on eyeballs. In fact, this is true for most things around you such as spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, or toothpaste. But read the article from WCMH Channel 4, an NBC affiliate in Columbus, Ohio, entitled "Patients treated for putting sunscreen in eyes during solar eclipse, report says."
It included a quote from Nurse practitioner Trish Patterson who told KRCR news station that: “One of my colleagues at moonlight here stated yesterday that they had patients presenting at their clinic that put sunscreen on their eyeball, and presented that they were having pain and they were referred to an ophthalmologist."
Folks, to view a solar eclipse, you can wear a pair of real solar eclipse glasses or make a pinhole projector. But don't put sunscreen on your eyeballs.
To be fair, you may get sunscreen in your eyes without intentionally putting it there. Sweat or accidentally rubbing your eyes can bring sunscreen into your eyes, especially if you try to cover the areas around your eye as much as possible and don't have a habit of washing your dirty, filthy hands. Spraying sunscreen directly at your face can also get sunscreen into your eyes. Therefore, instead, spray it on your hands first, and then use your hands to apply it to your face. Also, sunscreens with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide may run less and thus stay in place better.
The challenge is to get as much of your face covered but not get too close to your eyes. After all, as Henry Bodkin described for The Telegraph, the skin around your eyes is susceptible to sunlight damage and skin cancer as well. If you don't want to get sunscreen too close to your eyes, there are other ways of protecting the areas around the windows to your soul. You can wear sunglasses that offer real Ultraviolet-ray protection, a wide-brimmed hat, or a mask/cowl if you are Batman.
What do you do if you get sunscreen in your eyes? Don't panic. Panic is only good at the disco. In most cases, sunscreen can irritate your eyes, causing pain and stinging but will not cause permanent damage. If you are wearing contact lenses, take them out. Then, flush your eyes with plenty of eye drops, saline, or running water, while blinking frequently. Of course, be careful about the source of water. You shouldn't use something that will damage your eye like a fire hose or is dirty like what's in the Hudson River or your toilet. If flushing your eyes doesn't work, seek medical attention. The Poison Control website includes a procedure on how to deal with sunscreen getting into your eyes.
Whether you are preparing to watch an eclipse or just going out in the sun, protect your eyes properly from the sun and sunscreen. That twinkle in your eye shouldn't be from either.
