Does Sunscreen have any affect on dyneema?

Due to Dyneema being plastic based, can sunscreen have a degrading impact?

your slings getting sun burned??

Should protect it from UV damage.  I give mine a thick coat before every climb.

If you’re leaving a sling at a rappel it’s good to apply sunscreen to the sling to limit UV exposure for the next group.

Edit: Will beat me to it. 

This might be a good time to consider the advice, "If it's safe to put on your skin, it's not going to damage your gear".

Gunkiemikewrote:

This might be a good time to consider the advice, "If it's safe to put on your skin, it's not going to damage your gear".

I don't know if that's a fair rule to go by.  I'm no chemist / material scientist, but looking at this chart, it seems that isopropyl alcohol and hydrogen peroxide have "severe effects" on nylon.  Maybe someone more knowledgable will correct me.

Will Johnsonwrote:

I don't know if that's a fair rule to go by.  I'm no chemist / material scientist, but looking at this chart, it seems that isopropyl alcohol and hydrogen peroxide have "severe effects" on nylon.  Maybe someone more knowledgable will correct me.

IPA and peroxide aren't good to slather on your skin, especially in high concentration (the consumer versions of both substances have significant water content). The chart also relates to prolonged contact e.g. immersion. Sunscreen contact, like just about every other "did I just damage my rope/gear ?" concern involves brief and/or trace contact.  Also - I am a chemist with material compat. experience.

Gunkiemikewrote:

This might be a good time to consider the advice, "If it's safe to put on your skin, it's not going to damage your gear".

This is excellent advice.  Are there any sunscreens that are safe to put on your skin?

Gunkiemikewrote:

IPA and peroxide aren't good to slather on your skin, especially in high concentration (the consumer versions of both substances have significant water content). The chart also relates to prolonged contact e.g. immersion. Sunscreen contact, like just about every other "did I just damage my rope/gear ?" concern involves brief and/or trace contact.  Also - I am a chemist with material compat. experience.

this looks like a job for How Not To Highline! I bet he would be interested. 

I know sunscreen ruins everything plastic. especially the aerosols they sell in aluminum cans.. they sell them in aluminum cans... because they melt plastic bottles. I know this because I tried to repackage a spray sunscreen for travel and the plastic bottle degraded in a few weeks.

Gunkiemikewrote:

This might be a good time to consider the advice, "If it's safe to put on your skin, it's not going to damage your gear".

If your rope develops canker sores, I wouldn't slather on the DEBACTEROL® just because it's safe to put on your skin.

http://www.debacterol.com/FM-134%20B%20Debacterol%20Canker%20Sore%20Pain%20Relief%20SDS.pdf

This might be a good time to sit down with your gear and have "the chat" about safe climbing practices.

Regarding the OP question: I've never heard of gear degrading significantly/failing due to sunscreen exposure. The German Alpine Club did testing decades ago on a variety of substances climber's might spill on gear. That they found nothing to be worried about other than strong acids and sharp edges, but that doesn't mean your "sunscreen" wasn't your partner's DEBACTEROL® disguised as suntan lotion... 

Me, I'd wash as per manufacturer's instructions, inspect for obvious issues, and continue to use if there were no issues.

If it was bottle style sunscreen then probably you have nothing to worry about. Spray sunscreen is worth avoiding, because the propellant a solvent. 

J Bwrote:

If it was bottle style sunscreen then probably you have nothing to worry about. Spray sunscreen is worth avoiding, because the propellant a solvent. 

I actually discovered this issue a few years ago. As a SAR member I was routinely carrying sunscreen in my pack and preferred the spray on. Living in Arizona with the heat and keeping my gear in my car I have had several cans of sunscreen leak. Originally I wasn’t concerned and replaced the sunscreen but years later I was doing a climbing trip and several of the straps on my backpack had gotten brittle and actually snapped just tightening straps. The only thing I could attribute to what is the sunscreen in specifically the chemicals in the propellants. I’ve been warning other climbersAnd my Fellow search and rescue members of the issue.

Re spray on sunscreen - for curiosity I looked up info on 'Banana Boat® Sport Performance CoolZone SPF 30 (Aerosol)'
Here is msds - http://www.oppictures.com/MSDS/PLX15140_SDS.PDF 

It lists two major ingredients - Isobutane and Ethanol. You are not likely to soak anything with isobutane, for obvious reasons. Ethanol, an alcohol, is not likely to have much effect on spectra/dyneema - they are both Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene, quite inert to pretty much anything.