Medication and Sun do not always mix. If you enjoy the sun you must be sure that your medications will not interfere with your sun exposure. Photosensitivity can be caused by some antibiotics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines, cholesterol-lowering birth control, anti-diabetes containing sulfa, alpha-hydroxy acids (Some makeup also contains this). The two types of photosensitivity reactions; phototoxicity (more common) and photoallergy (rarer). A phototoxic reaction looks like a sunburn with additional swelling and sometimes blisters.

The reaction to the sun-exposed area can occur after the first use of a drug or new makeup and the reaction can happen within a minute or a few hours. The more medication and exposure to the sun can exaggerate the reaction. Once the use of the medication or makeup is discontinued the reaction usually goes away.  This is not considered an immune response.Photoallergy involves your immune system and is far less common than Phototoxicicity.  It is not related to the amount of medicine taken or how many times you use the makeup and it takes up to 72 hours to appear, can spread to other parts of the body,  and takes a longer for the rash to clear. This reaction can appear looking like eczema, hives, hardened patches, or blisters. It can even look like small broken blood vessels. It is believed that UV-A rays are usually the main.