Rubbing sunscreen on my body is such an easy task. I don’t understand why the removing of it can be such a trouble. I can never completely remove my waterproof sunscreen with a normal body wash. Because of poor cleaning, my limbs always itch on the following day, and I scratch my arms and legs like a monkey picking lice on its body. Good gracious! I envy those people who can get away with a normal body wash for their sunscreen, because I never can!
If you experience anything like this, you know how waterproof sunscreen can be such a hate for those of us with sensitive skin (for me, it’s a synonym of troublesome skin). Sometimes, you may even have a mental struggle of whether to use sunscreen or not. To solve this problem once and for all, I’ve experimented different methods to try to find out one that works for me.
Double Cleansing
The first thing I tried was double cleansing. My thought was, if I applied double cleansing to remove my make-up, there was no way why I couldn’t use the same method to remove my sunscreen. I tried this with what was left of my Muji Cleansing Oil, in the same way I clean my make-up.
At the beginning, I thought this method would 100% work, because I’ve had zero problems with the Muji cleansing oil. But it didn’t. Maybe I wasn’t being generous enough with the cleansing oil. So even though I cleaned my limbs with normal body wash after the cleansing oil, my skin still itched for the following days.
I’m dogged and believe if one method doesn’t work, I could try another, whatever it is. So, I turned to home remedy.
Home Remedy
I used olive oil to remove my make-up, so I believe it can also double up as sunscreen remover. Some people find olive oil as a make-up or sunscreen remover messy, but for me, it isn’t. Sure, it takes a little bit longer to manage the oil and the oil on your body, but all in all, I find it good enough. I’ve only used this method twice, but I’m glad to find there is ZERO skin irritation, and I love this method so much. If you are interested to have a go at it, don’t forget to wash away the oil before you slather your body with normal body wash. The oil can be removed way easier if you just do this one step. Also, make sure you stand firm on the ground of your bathroom, and don’t slip!
Sunscreen Body Wash
For those of you who don’t like messing with olive oil, you may try sunscreen body wash. This, I believe, is the simplest and hassle-free way to clean your sunscreen. But if you don’t apply sunscreen regularly, the body wash can idle for weeks. That’s also why I don’t consider buying one myself.
Whatever method you use to clean your waterproof sunscreen residue, make sure it’s cleaned properly. If you don’t want to have any body-scratching experience like mine, clean your body the best way you can.
Do you find any trouble when removing sunscreen on your body? What method do you use to clean it?
Hi, Amanda, Thank you so much for your reviews and beauty tips. I just bumped into your blog because I was searching for information about Marie Veronique tint face screen. I also intend to order one, but I don’t know which tint I should order. So I have emailed them to ask if I can order a sample of each. I used Almond oil to remove waterproof sunscreen (Shiseido) and it worked. Now I don’t use Shiseido sunscreen any more. I am using Devita solar protective moisturizer SPF 30. It is natural, but my eyes are allergic to it. So I am thinking of switching to MVO. Looking forward to your new posts and those about MVO sunscreen.
Hi, Kitty, thank you for dropping by my blog. Yes, it’s best to try some samples before buying normal size. It can be frustrating buying a product that doesn’t suit your skin. I have too many experiences like that in the past… If you can find the right tint, I think MVO Face Screen can be a very nice choice of sunscreen. Good luck to you!
Hi, i know this post is like.. few mths old, and i do hope you’ll still be able to see my comments!!
anyway, is it any type of olive oil we can use? or is it best to use certain type of olive oil?
Thanks for the info by the way! <3
It’s never too late to comment! I think the best type of olive oil is the cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil. Better yet if it’s also organic. In fact, I wrote a post on different types of olive oil in the past, you may have a better idea of what oil you can use: http://agingbelle.com/2011/08/8-ways-to-use-olive-oil-for-beauty/
HELLO! Its me again! haha(:
i would like to ask, if the sunscreen isn’t waterproof, does normal body wash washes the sunscreen off?
i was buying sunscreen the other day, and i remembered your post about sunscreen, so i bought a bottle of olive oil, it’s cold pressed extra virgin olive oi, just like you recommended!
but the other question to you is, how do i use the olive oil to remove sunscreen?
do you apply the oil on the dry body and rub it?
Thanks for the help again!!<3
Hi, Cassandra,
Some people use a normal body wash to remove waterproof sunscreen, and if you have no adverse response (e.g. itchiness) by doing so, then congrats, you are one of those lucky ones! For the rest of us, myself included, we need to look for a method to remove the sunscreen.
Thank you for liking my post!! Using olive oil to remove sunscreen on your body is easy. Simply apply the oil on your dry body. But note, removing the oil from your body can be a messy thing. As you know, some people don’t like that oily feeling on the skin. And yes, if you don’t clean the residue thoroughly, you may not like the end result (sticky limbs). Hope it might help you! And feel free to share your olive oil experience later on!
Oh oh!! another question i thought of!
Do i apply sunscreen before or after i apply body moisturizer?
Sorry for so asking so much question!
Thanks for the help once again!
Hi, Cassandra
It’s my pleasure to help! Since moisturizer is supposed to be absorbed by your skin, you should apply it before sunscreen.
So we can use body wash on it? I used to use dove sensitive soap bar and the screen seemed to be removed fine. But I became paranoid about the chemicals; I’m already displeased with having to use sunscreen on my face.
How bad is it to use a soap bar?
I’m thinking of trying to the oil cleansing method but from what I read, it’s either a big hit, or big nasty miss.
Hi, Angie,
I never used a soap bar to clean sunscreen on my body, so I have no way to tell. In the past, I used body wash, but I ended up with itchy skin, and have since turned to olive oil. And yes, you are right! It can be either a hit or miss. So make sure you know how much oil to use for every use