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 . 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:
CeraVe Benzoyl Peroxide Foaming Acne Cleanser
Clindamycin-Benzoyl Peroxide Gel (prescription)
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]
Eucerin Sensitive Tinted Mineral Face Sunscreen SPF 35
Night:
Same cerave cleanser or Aveeno positively radiant brightening face scrub if I’m taking a night shower
Tretinoin 0.1% (prescription)
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.
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?
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.