Sunscreen That Doesn't Stain Clothes?

Yup - I had this happen last year and was sooo mad! After researching the daylights out of it, I discovered it was the iron in my water reacting to the Avobenzone in the sunscreen.

You can get it out by treating it with an iron-removing chemical (I used The Works bathroom cleaner) but you may have to do several treatments and test each piece of clothing beforehand because it is harsh. Also, DO NOT get any of the iron-removing chemical on anything stainless steel because it will leave rusty-looking splotches on it and I believe you are supposed to wear gloves.

We got a new watersoftener and it has helped, but I still find orange stains when I use my beloved Ocean Potion sunscreens, which all have Avobenzene in them. I haven't found another sunscreen I love yet that doesn't. :/

Easiest solution? Find a sunscreen without Avobenzene in it. A lot of them have it now though, so you'll be reading a lot of labels.

I use the Coppertone Kids waterproof (spf 50) and the generic Krogers version - never had a problem with staining clothes and we have used this sunscreen for 10+ years. It is the best sunscreen I have found. We use it as adults. It doesn't need to be constantly reapplied. I do follow the - apply before going to the pool rule so it has 15-20 minutes on before getting there.

I did a little search on this and found out that yes, the iron in your water is probably making matters worse. However, they have much more to say on the subject and do provide some suggested solutions for you:

http://www.mamaslaundrytalk.com/2010/06/21/reader-mailbag...

Another one that seems useful is:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_avoid_sunscreen_stai...

Good luck!

M.

I like the No-Ad brand, you get more for your money. I use the SPF 50 waterproof on my 3 year old, it's the one in the orange bottle.

I have struggled with the same problem for years! My husband and I are both golfers and he loves the spray on sport sunscreen formulas that tend to be very greasy. After putting a white shirt through several washes and not seeing any of the stains coming out, it "dawned" on me that a greasy stain might come out with dish washing liquid. I slathered the stains with Dawn and let the shirt sit for about an hour. After washing it again...with an extra rinse to be sure to get out all the soap...the stains were gone!!!
Just be sure not to put the clothing in the dryer until you are sure the stains are out. Good luck!