• Blog
  • Maryland Poison Center
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
eAntidote
Blog of the Maryland Poison Center
  • Blog
  • Maryland Poison Center
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
Home  /  Poison Prevention Press • Poison Safety • Trending  /  What You Should Know About Sunscreen
30 June 2025

What You Should Know About Sunscreen

Emily Summer, Sunscreen Leave a Comment
Different protective sun screen cream bottles and spray tubes with made up labels on light blue background

Whether you’re headed to the beach, hiking in the mountains, working in your yard, or just walking the dog, sunscreen is an important step when getting ready to go out and about. Sunscreen helps prevent sunburn and premature skin aging, and it reduces the risk of skin cancer by blocking or absorbing harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. Let’s look at the different types of sunscreens, how to use them correctly, and what to do if sunscreen is used incorrectly or causes a reaction on the skin.

 

Types of Sunscreen

It is recommended to choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen to protect against both UVA (aging) and UVB (burning) rays.

There are two main types of sunscreen – chemical and mineral.

  • Chemical sunscreens: absorb UV rays before they can damage the skin; can cause irritation or allergic reactions on the skin; doesn’t leave a white coating on the skin.
  • Mineral sunscreens: sit on top of the skin to reflect UV rays; less irritating to the skin than chemical sunscreen; may leave a white coating.

Sunscreen comes in various sun protection factor (SPF) amounts. This number tells us how well a sunscreen will protect the skin from UVB rays. As the SPF value increases, sunburn protection increases. The SPF number does not indicate how long you can spend in the sun before reapplying—for example, SPF 15 doesn’t last for 15 hours. The SPF number describes the amount of protection from the sun the product can provide—the higher the SPF amount, the more protection from sunburn. For more information, please visit the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s SPF page.

Sunscreen comes in many forms:

  • Lotion
  • Spray
  • Stick

There are also different types, such as tinted, water-resistant, and reef-safe.

Lastly, avoid using products that contain both DEET insect repellent and sunscreen. Sunscreen must be reapplied frequently. DEET can last up to 8 hours and will not wash away with water so it should not be reapplied. Reapplying a combination product can be dangerous. Combination products can also lessen the effectiveness of the sunscreen’s SPF.

Sunscreen Label

Always read the label of sunscreen products before using them. The label will include information on how often to reapply according to the SPF amount and product. Also be sure to check the expiration date before use. Expired products may not provide the amount of protection noted on the label.

Sunscreen Application

Be sure to apply sunscreen even if it’s cloudy! It’s recommended to apply sunscreen 15-30 minutes before going outdoors so it has enough time to absorb before you are exposed to the sun. You will likely need to reapply every two hours, or after swimming or sweating, depending on which product you use (check the label).

Use caution around the eyes and mouth when applying sunscreen. When using a spray, do not spray directly on the face, rather spray on hands first, then apply to the face.

When applying on children, be cautious around the eyes and mouth. Since children often imitate adult behavior, they may try to apply these products on their own. They might apply too much product, get the product in their eyes and/or mouth, or eat the product. Store these products up, away, and out of sight from children.

Unintended Exposures

Follow these first aid steps if you or someone you know is exposed to a sunscreen product.

  • Eyes: flush the eye with lukewarm water for 15 minutes. Try to blink as much as possible but do not force the eyelid open. Then call the Maryland Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222 for further instructions. Sunscreen may require more than 15 minutes of flushing because the product is often water resistant.
  • Mouth: wipe the inside of the mouth with a wet towel or rinse out the mouth. Give a small drink of water. Then call the Maryland Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222 for further instructions. These products can be irritating to the stomach and can cause vomiting or diarrhea.
  • Skin reaction: if irritation develops after skin application, wash the sunscreen off thoroughly using soap and water, and stop further use.

 

As always, the Maryland Poison Center is available 24/7 at no cost. Our poison specialists are available to help you with sunscreen questions or exposures, along with other summer poisons. Stay poison-safe and have a great summer!

About Author

Emily

Emily is responsible for public education and communications at the MPC. This includes going out in the community, and curating the content on MPC’s social media pages, including, Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, and this blog! Emily loves working with people of all ages, and as a Maryland native, wants to reach out to all Marylanders with our poison safety messages.

Previous Article St. John’s Wort

Related Posts

  • St. John’s Wort flower, supplement capsules, and tinctures

    St. John’s Wort

  • Cleaning products in and around a cleaning bucket

    Spring Cleaning

  • Young girl outside in the snow holding a pile of snow

    Will Kids Really Eat That? Part Three

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Tags

About Us Adults Alcohol Antifreeze Button Batteries Cannabis Carbon Monoxide child-resistant packaging Children Cigarettes Cleaning Products E-cigarettes Food Poisoning Grandparents Hand Sanitizer Historic Poisonings Holiday Safety Home Laundry Pods Medicine Medicine Disposal Medicine Safety Nicotine Nurse Older Adults Over-the Counter Parents Personal Care Products Pharmacist Plants Poison Expert Poison Exposures Poison Myths Poison Safety Pre-Teens Safe Storage Seasonal Specialist in Poison Information Supplements Swimming Pools Teens Toxicology Fellowship Toy Safety Traveling Vaping

Join Our Mailing List!

Stay up to date on trending poison topics by subscribing to our monthly newsletter. Click here to subscribe.

Recent Posts

  • Different protective sun screen cream bottles and spray tubes with made up labels on light blue background
    What You Should Know About Sunscreen June 30, 2025
  • St. John’s Wort flower, supplement capsules, and tinctures
    St. John’s Wort May 29, 2025
  • Cleaning products in and around a cleaning bucket
    Spring Cleaning April 24, 2025
  • Young girl outside in the snow holding a pile of snow
    Will Kids Really Eat That? Part Three February 28, 2025

Social Media

Comment Policy

We welcome your comments. Please note that this is a moderated blog. All comments will be reviewed before they are posted, which will result in a delay in the posting of comments. Please leave comments that are respectful and useful. Malicious, anonymous, and promotional comments will not be posted. We reserve the right to remove comments from the site at any time.

For more information, please review the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy’s Social Media Code of Ethics. 

If you have any questions or concerns about this policy, please contact us.

Instagram

View on Instagram

Maryland Poison Center (@mdpoisoncenter) Instagram photos and videos

Recent Posts

  • Different protective sun screen cream bottles and spray tubes with made up labels on light blue background
    What You Should Know About Sunscreen June 30, 2025
  • St. John’s Wort flower, supplement capsules, and tinctures
    St. John’s Wort May 29, 2025
  • Cleaning products in and around a cleaning bucket
    Spring Cleaning April 24, 2025
  • Young girl outside in the snow holding a pile of snow
    Will Kids Really Eat That? Part Three February 28, 2025
© Copyright 2014 Maryland Poison Center. Theme by BloomPixel. | Privacy