# Nalgene reacting with sunscreen **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 18, 2006, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nalgene-reacting-with-sunscreen/361199 "2006-06-18T21:16:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2006, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nalgene-reacting-with-sunscreen/361199/1 "2006-06-18T21:16:22Z")
I was over at a friend’s last weekend helping them lay some flagstone and I had my trusty Nalgene bottle with me. My friend’s wife sprayed their young child with some suncreen and some of the mist got on my Nalgene bottle. Now there’s a film or possibly etching on the bottle that won’t come off using any of the household cleaners I’ve tried. Does anyone have any clue what specifically might have caused this? Has anyone seen it before? Any idea what might remove it? ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2006, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nalgene-reacting-with-sunscreen/361199/2 "2006-06-18T21:25:20Z")
It was probably not the sunscreen itself, but the propellant that is used in the spray can. You have to be careful with spray-on primer if you are priming plastic miniatures and hold the can far away from the figure, so that the propellant has a chance to evaporate before the primer hits the fig. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nalgene-reacting-with-sunscreen/361199/3 "2006-06-19T03:38:43Z")
Did the sunscreen also include bug repellent? DEET is extremely hard on plastics, it desolves it like nobody’s business. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nalgene-reacting-with-sunscreen/361199/4 "2006-06-19T09:04:44Z")
Nalgene is just polyethylene, and virtually anything oil- or ester-based will cause “panelling,” a warping of the container. If it’s etching or cracking, the culprit is more likely alcohol, which has a number of benefits in a sunscreen spray; I’ve seen PE tubing craze and leak after carrying isopropyl alcohol. Nalgene is the bee’s knees for aqueous solutions, though. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nalgene-reacting-with-sunscreen/361199/5 "2006-06-19T16:08:25Z")
Er, come to think of it, sunscreen is unlikely to come in an aerosol can, isn’t it? So if it was a pump-spray bottle, disregard my ramblings. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nalgene-reacting-with-sunscreen/361199/6 "2006-06-19T16:12:46Z")
[QUOTE=Podkayne] Er, come to think of it, sunscreen is unlikely to come in an aerosol can, isn’t it? So if it was a pump-spray bottle, disregard my ramblings. [/QUOTE] Actually, I just bought a bottle of spray on sunscreen and was surprised that inside of the plastic bottle was an aerosol can. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nalgene-reacting-with-sunscreen/361199/7 "2006-06-19T17:12:07Z")
> [@](#): > > Did the sunscreen also include bug repellent? DEET is extremely hard on plastics, it desolves it like nobody’s business. I have had this happen many times with deet and plastics (including a new car door panel), I don’t know about sunscreen.