We all know that protecting our skin from sun, especially for those of us who are active & outdoorsy ocean-lovers, is paramount for long-term skin health and skin cancer prevention (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6978633/). But what many of us don’t know is that there are key chemical differences between sunscreens, and that these have impacts on our environment.
2 types of sunscreens (https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-science-of-sunscreen):
- Physical blockers that reflect UV rays, containing zinc oxide or titanium dioxide
- Chemical blockers that contain chemicals that absorb UV rays, commonly aminobenzoic acid, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, and oxybenzone
Unfortunately, UV filters in both types of sunscreens have been linked to bleaching and enhanced mortality in corals, which has led to bans on some organic filters in some locations (Hawaii, Palau), but no regulation of other compounds which are also known to be toxic to marine life (https://enveurope.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s12302-021-00515-w).
What you can do:
1. When you’re stocking up on sunscreen:
- Don’t just look for the “reef-safe” labeling, as many of these products still contain some harmful chemicals (https://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(19)32998-6/fulltext
- Find sunscreen free of the following chemicals: Oxybenzone, Benzophenone-1, Benzophenone-8, OD-PABA, 4-Methylbenzylidene camphor, 3-Benzylidene camphor, nano-Titanium dioxide, nano-Zinc oxide, Octinoxate, Octocrylene. (https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/sunscreen-corals.html)
2. Use other forms of skin protection, such as hats, clothing, and umbrellas.
Photo: The Ocean Agency: Renata Romeo