Is My Sunscreen Reef Safe?
There’s a lot of controversy out there regarding which chemicals are damaging our corals. Did you know there are also sunscreens claiming to be “reef safe” with no scientific backing?! How can you tell the difference when you can’t even pronounce the ingredients? Scientists are conducting new studies all the time but I’ll try and break down the most recent results to provide you with some guidelines on what chemicals to avoid. Oxybenzone This chemical has been proven hands down to be the leading cause of coral bleaching found in sunscreen. It’s causing extensive damage not only to the reef itself, but also disrupts coral reproduction. Hawai’i has passed a ban on oxybenzone but it doesn’t go into effect until 2020, which means it will be sold in stores until then. Keep a lookout and avoid. Octinoxate / Octocrylene These…