The short version: sunscreen kills coral. There are four major, common ingredients in sunscreen which are toxic to corals and other marine life. Sunscreen is now starting to be banned in places like Hawaii which have suffered massive damage from sunscreen poisoning.

This article is only about sunscreen and the ocean. If you’re not getting in the water, there are other factors to consider.

While there are plenty of good articles on this already, here’s some bullet points about “normal” sunscreen:

Sunscreen needs time ( ~30 min ) to absorb into your skin.

) to absorb into your skin. Sunscreen which sits on top of your skin in a creamy glaze simply washes off in the water, killing everything.

The best option is to cover up – with a big hat and a long sleeve shirt. Try leggings/yoga pants or similar to avoid leg burns.

There are reef-safe alternative sunscreen materials!





The four ingredients to avoid

Avoid reef-damaging substances such as:

Oxybenzone (Benzophenone-3, BP-3)

(Benzophenone-3, BP-3) Butylparaben

Octinoxate (Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate)

(Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate) 4-methylbenzylidene camphor (4MBC)

If you read the ingredients on the bottle and see one of these – don’t use it near the ocean.

Other ingredients to avoid

Retinyl Palmitate: May speed development of skin tumors and lesions.

Oxybenzone: In addition to being bad for the reef, it gets into the bloodstream and can act like estrogen in the body.

Avobenzone: Becomes toxic when combined with chlorinated water (like from a swimming pool).

What’s good?

non-nano Zinc oxide. Blocks UVA and UVB. The preferred option, but can have a whitish look.

non-nano Titanium dioxide. Blocks UVB only.

Avobenzone, but only in the ocean.

Reef safe sunscreens

Blue Lizard

Australian. Zinc and titanium based. Only get the baby or sensitive skin versions!





Badger

Zinc based.





Caribbean Solutions

Zinc and titanium based. With aloe vera.





Vanicream

Zinc & titanium based, designed for sensitive skin.





Manda

Thanaka based (Burmese tree bark).





Raw Elements

Zinc based.





All Good

Zinc based.





Magwai

Philippines. Zinc and titanium based.

Currently only available in the Philippines. 599PHP ($11.40USD) for a 100ml tube.

Sunbutter

Zinc based, Australian made. $20AUD per tin. Very natural ingredients, and comes in four colours/tints (one is clear).

https://sunbutteroceans.com.au/collections/all

And plenty more to be found. Stay sun safe, be reef smart!





Sources:

https://www.seacrush.com/en/articles/reef-safe-sunscreens-that-are-good-the-skin-and-the-environment/

http://scubadiverlife.com/top-four-reef-safe-sunscreens/

Further reading

PADI article in 2016 by Megan Denny.

DAN on Sunscreen Pollution.

Environmental Working Group:

On Avodenzone from the DailyMail (June 2017).

Vogue article on sunscreen.

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