The ocean needs you to check your sunscreen
Coral reefs are fragile and diverse ecosystems that house up to a quarter of marine species, and the chemical ingredients in your sunscreen may be threatening their existence. Mineral-based sunscreens are an eco-friendly—and often healthier—option. (Photo Source: Qui Nguyen on Unsplash)
The importance of sunscreen comes as no surprise. It protects your skin from the sun’s harmful UV radiation and helps prevent skin cancer, making it an essential part of daily skincare. But what you may not know is that many of the sunscreen brands stocked at your local drugstore are made with toxins that endanger a critically important ocean ecosystem.
Toxic ingredients in chemical sunscreen contribute to the coral bleaching already caused by warming seas and plastic pollution in the ocean. (Photo Source: Vox)
Every year, up to 14,000 tons of sunscreen residue make their way into the ocean and contaminate coral reefs. Despite having a hard exoskeleton that gives them a plant-like appearance, coral reefs are actually made up of colonies of small animals called polyps. Often referred to as the rainforests of the sea, they shelter more than a quarter of marine life, making them among the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. Species such as crabs, sponges, oysters and fish are but a few that have made coral reefs their home.
Maintaining coral reef health is crucial to preserving this biodiversity, but toxic chemicals in the ocean have made them increasingly prone to bleaching. Coral bleaching happens when an algae called zooxanthellae leaves the coral due to environmental stressors, which can include the absorption of toxic chemicals. Without the algae the coral loses its main source of food and its color. This interferes with coral reproduction and leaves it defenseless against disease.
Though chemical sunscreens aren’t the main cause of coral bleaching, they aggravate the bleaching caused by warming seas. Avoiding sunscreens with toxic chemicals is one of the best ways to protect our coral reefs, which is why places like Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Aruba have enacted bans on sunscreens with toxic ingredients.
With the livelihood of coral reefs on the line, the future of every species dependent on them for food or shelter is also at risk, as is the marine food chain that depends on them for food
OCEAN-FRIENDLY SUNSCREENS
Mineral sunscreens are a reef-safe alternative to chemical sunscreens, which seep into the ocean and wreak havoc on coral reefs. (Photo Source: Kinfield)
Choosing a sunscreen that goes the extra mile to protect our reefs can help maintain the health and balance of our oceans. For that, you’re going to want to go with a mineral sunscreen.
Reef safe mineral sunscreens are made with non-nano particle zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These large particle ingredients work just as well as chemical ingredients in protecting your skin against harmful UV rays, and they’re safer for you, too. A 2021 study found that many chemical-based sunscreens are contaminated with high levels of benzene, a well-known human carcinogen. Not so with mineral sunscreens.
Mineral sunscreens for your body
Mineral sunscreens for your face
SUNSCREENS TO AVOID
So which sunscreen ingredients are bad for reefs? Oxybenzone is among the most well-known, but it’s not the only one. The Haereticus Environmental Laboratory created the following list of chemical ingredients you’ll want to steer clear of when buying new products.
TOXIC SUNSCREENS*
Aveeno
Banana Boat
Coppertone
Equate
Neutrogena
NO-AD
Sun Bum
All spray sunscreens
*This is an incomplete list.
TOXIC INGREDIENTS
4-methylbenzylidene camphor
Octocrylene
Para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA)
Methyl Paraben
Ethyl Paraben
Propylparaben
Butyl Paraben
Benzyl Paraben
Triclosan
Microplastic spheres or beads
Nanoparticle forms of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide
Natalie Melendez is a Stone Pier Press News Fellow based in Anaheim, CA.
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