Individuals who have unfortunately gotten sunscreen in their eyes know firsthand just how much it can sting. In fact, someone who has experienced a severe case may compare it to mace or pepper spray. It can take hours before the victim can comfortably open his eyes, especially outside in the bright sun.
There's no doubt rubbing sunblock in your eyes is likely to ruin a day by the pool. While the discomfort will likely remain for some time, you should try to tend to it as soon as possible.
The best treatment is immediately flushing the eye out with a stream of water for a while. This should flush the sunscreen out of the eye but it probably won't eliminate the discomfort for a while. For discomfort, cool, wet compresses to the eyes may cause some relief. Use of eye drops such as ClearEyes may assist in rinsing out the eye, but they will cause burning.
After rinsing, it is normal for vision to be somewhat blurred. If discomfort persists after a significant amount of time see your optometrist.
Prevention
Never spray sunscreen directly on the face.
Don't allow little children to apply lotion alone.
Don't leave sunscreen in reach of small children and use the lock mechanism when not in use.
Rub sunscreen in completely.
Do not apply sunblock too close to the eyes.
Wear sunglasses to protect the eyes and the areas around them from UV rays.