Is sunscreen bleaching my clothes?

Hi! Idk why this is happening, and it’s only happening to my clothes. I’ve used 3 sunscreens: Trader Joe’s sunscreen, and Sun Bum sunscreen, and I’m currently using Eucerins tinted sunscreen. I noticed over a year ago that some of my clothes r getting bleached around the neck and sometimes on the shoulder/back area and sleeves too. I had no idea where it was coming from, and it was only happening to my clothes, not my mom’s or my sister’s. I used to put sunscreen on my neck, but my mom and sister said I should probably stop since the sunscreen was probably getting onto my clothes and when they went in the wash they got bleached because that was the only consistent common factor we kept noticing. I also decided to switch my sunscreen. I noticed that the active ingredient in Sun Bum is avobenzone and I read that it could cause bleaching so then I bought Eucerins tinted sunscreen (the active ingredient is zinc oxide). I also stopped putting sunscreen on my neck.

All was going well, but then I had a really good quality amazing blue t-shirt from Uniqlo and it got bleached around the neck :sob::sob:. I haven’t used sunbum in a while so idk why this happened. I did put stain remover on it before I threw it in the wash bc there was some darkish stain on the neckline. And I still don’t put sunscreen on my neck.

Is this happening to anyone else? And if you have, how did u stop it?

I also had the thought that maybe my skincare or something would influence it. So I’ll lay it out for you.

Morning:

  1. CeraVe Benzoyl Peroxide Foaming Acne Cleanser
  2. Clindamycin-Benzoyl Peroxide Gel (prescription)
  3. Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Lotion (at home) or CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Face and Body Lotion (at college) [the bleaching problem started before i went to college, so college air or water is prob not the answer lol]
  4. Eucerin Sensitive Tinted Mineral Face Sunscreen SPF 35

Night:

  1. Same cerave cleanser or Aveeno positively radiant brightening face scrub if I’m taking a night shower
  2. Tretinoin 0.1% (prescription)
  3. CeraVe lotion or body cream, depending on how dry my skin feels at the moment or whichever my hand goes to first lol [college] or the same Aveeno cream [at home]

edit: so I guess it’s the gel prescription I use since I’ve never had any bleaching problems with my cleanser before using my prescription. I’ll talk to my dermatologist to see if there r any alternatives to this prescription

It’s probably the benzoyl peroxide in your morning routine. Do you put on your clothes after doing your skincare? The neckline probably rubs up against your face and takes on a bit of the BP products.

For reference, I just use BP face wash sometimes and I have to have a separate set of towels for drying my face AFTER washing it all off. It bleaches a lot and very fast.

It’s the Benzoyl Peroxide. Makes orange or pink stains on clothing towels etc.

It’s 100% the benzoyl peroxide

I only had to read one line into your skincare routine. It’s likely the benzoyl peroxide. It can bleach your towels and pillowcases too.

I’m sorry but I laughed out loud when you listed your skincare routine, it’s all the benzoyl peroxide in your skincare products that’s the issue.

Benzoyl peroxide bleaches fabric, that is 100% what is doing this.

It’s the BP. My partner ruined one of our towels with his BP wash just drying off after washing.

It’s the benzoyl peroxide and not the sunscreen. Benzoyl peroxide is known to bleach fabric

It’s the benzoyl peroxide.

t’s the benzoyl peroxide. Happened to me too and it was a body wash I rinsed off! My sheets got the worst of it so I switched to white sheets.

When I’ve used glycolic acid deodorants it bleached out the armpits of my nice tank tops :frowning:

It occur to me as well. Not bleach but like a yellow stain on my collar and I stopped applying sunscreen on my neck.

BP. it’s ruined enough of my stuff that I refuse to use it now. also, some shaving creams will do a bleach job on your towels, but I’ve only ever seen it happen with men’s for whatever reason

Avobenzene binds with the minerals (iron etc.) in hard water when in the wash, that’s what causes the orange stains. I’m not sure about the bleaching part though, is it the orange color stain you are seeing and calling it bleaching?

It’s absolutely the BP that is doing all this, not the sunscreen!

Edit-talking about the BP in OP’s routine to be clear

on green shirts I see more orange/yellow stains, on blue shirts it is more white, on purple it’s more pink

Sunscreen can stain. My white shorts have orange stains and I cannot get them out. I did avoid the known ingrediënts that do stain, I waited 30 minutes to let it all dry before getting dressed and it still happened. It’s a combination of your sweat and the ingrediënts, that can trigger a reaction. Told myself to never buy white shorts again and other white summer clothes unless I see them for cheap at the thrift store. Some ingrediënts leave yellow/orange stains on whites and others leave stains on dark colors.