THE PROBLEM

When you are in the ocean, your sunscreen does not always stay on your skin. If you use chemical sunscreens, the chemicals can threaten sea urchins, fish, mussels, and corals. The chemicals accumulate in the tissues of the corals and can induce bleaching, damage DNA, deform young, and can even kill coral species. Harmful chemicals in mainstream sunscreens are just one of the issues coral reefs are facing around the world.

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Chemicals to avoid (from Surfrider Foundation):

• Oxybenzone

• Octinoxate

• Octocrylene

• 4-methylbenzylidene camphor

• PABA

• Parabens

• Triclosan

• Any nanoparticles or “nano-sized” zinc or titanium (if it doesn’t explicitly say “micro-sized” or “non-nano” and it can rub in, it’s probably nano-sized)

• Any form of microplastic, such as “exfoliating beads”

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Sunscreen ingredients need to be both safe for the environment and human use. Most of the sunscreens that are on the market contain harmful chemicals, like those seen above, that threaten the health of coral reef ecosystems globally.