In July 2018, Hawaii reported a ban on a certain kind of sunscreen because of the dangers it posed to coral reefs. It stated two dangerous chemicals in sunscreen for young corals. More on that here. Should you care? To what degree? And which sunscreen should I use? (TL;DR: Yes, but really depends, and I do have some recommendation of the coral friendly sunscreen I tried out during the holidays, and they are easily available in Germany, at different price points)
The Banned Chemicals: Oxybenzone and Octinoxate
The law will go into effect in Hawaii on January 1st, 2021. It banned these two specific chemicals: Oxybenzone and Octinoxate (Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate / Octyl Methoxycinnamate). Both are proven to cause coral bleaching, especially when it reaches a certain concentration in the water.
There are still debates whether this ban is absolutely necessary, notably by the lawyers representing Neutrogena and Coppertone. And it is really the concentration amount that mattered (aka, if you’re the only one wearing it in the ocean, it’s fine. If it’s the whole tourist village on an enclosed coral space, then we’re definitely screwed.
Also Not Coral Friendly: Zinc Oxide, Enzacamene (4-MBC / 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor)
If you’re convinced that you should avoid oxybenzone and octinoxate, do think to extend the ban for zinc oxide, enzacamene, and avoid ones with nanoparticles.
Read more on labmuffin about this, and she also provides great links to the studies on these chemical effects, and a thorough explanation of the concentration of these chemicals.
There is a more comprehensive list at vox.com , possibly useful if you want to go completely paranoid (some of the chemicals listed are proven only to give minimal harm to no effect).
Should I Care?
Due to fact that the ban is not worldwide, and even the scientist are still in a bit of conflict about it, ask yourself these.
Are You Going to Swim Close to the Corals?
If yes, then you should change your sunscreen to the coral-friendly ones.
You won’t single-handedly kill the corals if you do since the dose is the important issue here. If you are the only one wearing the sunscreen in open water, then most likely it’s not going to cause harm. But collectively, and especially in an area full of tourists, it does pose a threat. Again, read more on the harmful dosage and the scientific papers proving it on labmuffin.
If you are not swimming, but still you are in an area close to the coral, you might still want to think about it, in case:
- The drainage of the area is not good and it’s actually dumping things to the ocean (sunscreen should be the least of your worry here, but then again, just thinking to be safe here)
- You are still splashing on the beach, not exactly swimming but still, feet took a dip in the water.
- Just plain forgot which sunscreen is in use (me!)
So, on the safe side, I am only packing coral-friendly sunscreen when I’m going by the ocean, regardless of whether I will be swimming or not. Unless you are allergic to some of the ingredients, I really don’t see why you shouldn’t.
For wearing the sunscreen on a day in the city? Not at all. The chemicals are not harmful to us.
But There Are So Many Other Factors That Endanger Corals!
YES! And while sunscreen plays a part, the most problem comes from a combination of raised temperatures, change of ph level, overfishing, destruction, and other pollutants in the ocean. We can do our small part by not wearing the dangerous sunscreen, but unless we collectively as humans do something about the environment, it might not matter much.
Here are ways you can help the corals: live sustainably (note: no need to throw away the non coral reef friendly sunscreen, just wear them in the city), choose sustainable seafood and don’t buy jewelry from living animals, or donate to a coral conservation program!
Which Coral Friendly Sunscreen to Use?
First, check if your current sunscreen is actually safe to use. Look at the ingredients list, or google for the ingredients. If it does not have the four major offenders then do use it instead! As a reminder, the ingredients to look out for are oxybenzone, octinoxate, zinc oxide, and enzacamene (4-MBC).
Other ingredients you might want to avoid: nanoparticles and microplastic sphere or beads.
And the rest of the ingredients which has minimal to no impact: octocrylene, octisalate, avobenzone, octyl triazone (Uvinul T), ecamsule (Mexoryl SX), drometrizole trisiloxane (Mexoryl XL), titanium dioxide.
If you are looking for some, here are my picks and recommendations!
Biotherm Waterlover Sun Milk
Biotherm touted this sunscreen to be one that’s friendly to “protect what your love: your skin, your family and the ocean”. I still checked the ingredients for both the SPF30 and SPF 50. Happy to report they are both safe! It is free from the 4, free from the ingredients listed on here, and only have minimal harm or no effect Drometrizole Trisiloxane.
SPF 30
Aqua/Water,Glycerin, Homosalate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Drometrizole Trisiloxane, Alcohol Denat, Ethylhexyl Salycilate, Bis-Ethlhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Zea Mays Starch/Corn Starch, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Propylene Glycol, Triethanolamine, Parfum/Fragrance, Synthetic Wax,Terephthalylidene Dicamphor, Sulfonic Acid, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Peg-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Vitreoscilla Ferment, Myristic Acid (F.I.L C201575/1).
SPF 50
Aqua/Water,Glycerin, Homosalate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Drometrizole Trisiloxane, Alcohol Denat, Ethylhexyl Salycilate, Bis-Ethlhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Zea Mays Starch/Corn Starch, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Propylene Glycol, Triethanolamine, Parfum/Fragrance, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Synthetic Wax,Terephthalylidene Dicamphor, Sulfonic Acid, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Peg-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Vitreoscilla Ferment, Myristic Acid (F.I.L C201575/1).
My Thoughts on Waterlover Sun Milk
It is comfortable to use, the SPF50 one more so than SPF30 (I found the later felt stickier). On the packaging, it said for face and body, but it felt rather too sticky to use on the face. If you are swimming and sweating on the beach / ocean though, it doesn’t matter that much. Definitely recommended. Price point: 24 €.
Beyer & Sohne Dayshade SPF50
It is possibly the safest list of ingredients I have found so far. The only thing is the Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate haven’t really got tested on the coral.
Isoamyl Laurate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Squalane, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Oil, Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract, Tocotrienols, Tocopherol, Astaxanthin, Helianthus, Annuus Seed Oil, Ceramide NP.
My Thoughts on the Dayshade
I wrote a full review of it here. I am thoroughly impressed with how great the ingredients list is. Perhaps this is why the bottle has a price tag of 49.90€ (note: they do offer a smaller sample size if you’d like to try this one out)? My only concern is still that it is impossible to get the recommended amount of sunscreen on my skin (then again, everyone’s skin is different). Also for that price tag, I might be hesitating in putting it on my whole body and it’s not touted as a water-resistant sunscreen.
Avene Réflexe Solaire SPF 50+
Free from the four, but it has some nanoparticles.
Avene Aqua. C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate. Methylene Bis-benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol (Nano). Aqua. Diisopropyl Adipate. Isodecyl Neopentanoate. Silica. Dicaprylyl Carbonate. Bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine. Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone. Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate. Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane. Potassium Cetyl Phosphate. Decyl Glucoside. 1,2-hexanediol. C10-18 Triglycerides. Vp/eicosene Copolymer. Acrylates/c10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer. Benzoic Acid. Butylene Glycol. Caprylic/capric Triglyceride. Disodium Edta. Parfum. Glyceryl Behenate, Glyceryl Dibehenate. Glyceryl Stearate. Oxothiazolidine. Peg-100 Stearate. Propylene Glycol. Sodium Benzoate. Tocopherol. Tocopheryl Glucoside. Tribehenin. Xanthan Gum.
My Thoughts on Réflexe Solaire
It’s a tiny bottle (30ml), but it is good for the face and body. It is a nice one to carry around, or if you have only a few days on the beach/ocean and just want to buy a small but good sunscreen. 9,90€ for 30ml
La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL Gel-Cream Dry Touch SPF 50+
Free from the main 4, but contains nanoparticles of titanium dioxide and octocrylene.
Aqua, Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Silica, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol, Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Drometrizole Trisiloxane, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Aluminium Starch Octenylsuccinate, Octocrylene, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Dimethicone, Perlite, Propylene Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Aluminium Hydroxide, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium Edta, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Isopropyl Lauryol Sarcosinate, Peg-8 Laurate, Phenoxyethanol, Stearic Acid, Steraryl Alcohol, Terephtalydinene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid, Titanium Dioxide (Nano)/Titanium Dioxide, Tocopherol, Triethanolamine, Xanthan Gum, Zinc Gluconate.
My Thoughts on Anthelios XL Gel-Cream
If you don’t like shine at all, then this one is for you. It mattifies (due to the talc) but gives a slight white cast on my super tan summer skin. The Anthelios XL family seemed to be a decent choice for coral friendly sunscreen, do check for one more suitable for your skin needs (I am personally tempted to try the spray). Price point: 16.90€ for 50ml.
Garnier Ambre Solaire Sonnenspray UV Water LSF 30
Free from the main four, only contains octocrylene.
AQUA / WATER, DICAPRYLYL CARBONATE, HOMOSALATE, DICAPRYLYL ETHER, OCTOCRYLENE, ETHYLHEXYL SALICYLATE, BUTYL METHOXYDIBENZOYLMETHANE, GLYCERIN, ALCOHOL DENAT., ETHYLHEXYL TRIAZONE, PROPANEDIOL, DIISOPROPYL SEBACATE, BIS-ETHYLHEXYLOXYPHENOL METHOXYPHENYL TRIAZINE, PHENYLBENZIMIDAZOLE SULFONIC ACID, CI 61565 / GREEN 6, CI 60725 / VIOLET 2, TOCOPHEROL, SODIUM BENZOATE, PHENOXYETHANOL, TRIETHANOLAMINE, POLY C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATE, ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF JUICE, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, TEREPHTHALYLIDENE DICAMPHOR SULFONIC ACID, DISODIUM EDTA, CITRIC ACID, POTASSIUM SORBATE, PARFUM / FRAGRANCE
My Thoughts on Ambre Solaire Sonnenspray UV Water
Well, this is actually the only one I haven’t tried personally. It is easily available in Germany (at dm), it has aloe vera in it (I love aloe vera in summer), and the price point is the best from the other ones I found (8.45€ for 150ml). I will get this for my next trip after I ran out of my biotherm one!
Organic Sunscreens (Update)
After talking to a friend I realized I didn’t have any organic product listed. I personally haven’t tried these out, but here are some that are formulated without the 4 ingredients (note: we not sponsored in any way at the time I’m writing this, so these are just my search on a few shops I like).
- Eco Cosmetics – SURF & FUN Sun Cream SPF 50+ Slightly Tinted, only has titanium dioxide, €18.94 here. In general, this brand seemed to have a good range of sunscreen with titanium dioxide as their main sunscreen component.
- Weleda Sonnencreme Kids Sensitive LSF 50, only has titanium dioxide, 11.95 €. Weleda also have a good range sunscreen with non nano titanium dioxide (safe-ish), the only issue I read from the reviews are the white cast, so try this out first if you can (especially if you have more melanin on your skin!)
- ALPHANOVA Sun Lait Solaire Bio Très Haute Protection – SPF 50+, 15,35€ here. With titanium dioxide, branded as sea & reef safe, and it most likely is!
Conclusion
Choose your sunscreen wisely, but no need to throw away your existing one (just don’t use them while swimming near the corals). Sorry for the very long post, hope it helps you, and if you have a coral friendly sunscreen recommendation, post them in the comments, I would love to hear it!
Please note that this review is not sponsored in any way. We buy products ourselves, with our own money, and don’t accept exchanging goods, or money, for reviews. We are completely independent, and our reviews reflect that.
