How Safe
is Your
Sunscreen?
Scroll down to find out.
Ingredients
Just 1 drop of oxybenzone in 6 Olympic-sized pools can damage corals.
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Ingredients to Avoid:
Oxybenzone & Octinoxate
Octocrylene & Homosalate
Benzophenones
Cyclopentasiloxane and Cyclomethicone
Methylisothiazolinone
Sodium lauryl sulfate
Octinoxate lactyl methoxycinnamate
Butyloctyl salicylate
Clear or nano zinc
Parabens & Artificial Fragrances
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Non-nano zinc oxide & titanium dioxide
“Mineral-Based”
Biodegradable & water-resistant formulas
"Reef-Safe" Certification
Lotions over aerosol sprays
Is your sunscreen a high hazard?
Check out these top sunscreen brands committed to making a difference for our corals and marine life. Keep in mind that a “reef-safe” label is not regulated and can be used loosely as a marketing device. Always double check the ingredient list. *
*Not every product sold from these brands may be reef-safe. Check the safety scores for your exact product’s ingredients and refer to our tips on what to look for.
Did you know that 70-90% of coral reefs are estimated to decline by 2050?
Coral reefs are being threatened by:
Rising ocean temperatures
Ocean acidification
Microplastics
Harmful sunscreen ingredients
What’s causing this decline?
Did you know that over 14,000 tons of sunscreen enter the ocean yearly?
You may have heard the term “coral bleaching” before but not understood what it meant. Coral bleaching refers to corals that have turned white due to the loss of zooxanthellae––a symbiotic algae that coexists inside corals.
Zooxanthellae is responsible for giving corals their bright colors and helping them get the nutrients they need through photosynthesis (they need the sun!) When stressors such as sunscreen chemicals enter the scene, the zooxanthellae are expelled by the corals, giving the corals that white “bleached” look. If conditions don’t return to normal, the zooxanthellae won’t return to the corals and the corals will die.
What is coral bleaching?
Coral reefs exist for more than just looks…
Coral reefs are often referred to as the rainforest of the sea due to their importance to marine biodiversity.
Coral reefs also act as a natural barrier against wave energy to protect coastlines from erosion and flooding.
Want to learn more?
Check out these resources to find out everything you need to know about the impact of sunscreen on coral bleaching and marine life.
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/sunscreen-corals.html
https://www.4ocean.com/blogs/notebook/reef-safe-sunscreen?srsltid=AfmBOopFjfbU9xS7QCUEzTStLXStYWst6Ti0drvGRA71d4IzPlvrQLq9
https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2018/05/24/sunscreen-killing-coral-reef/