Avobenzone penetrates the skin and is used to help other chemicals absorb into the skin. Often used in place of oxybenzone (a chemical compound banned in Hawaii that causes devastating damage to corals at extremely low concentrations), it works in a similar manner to oxybenzone and poses similar risks. To be silent on a subject that matters so much to us would make us not much better than those who choose not to look more deeply into the potentially harmful effects of all active chemical ingredients in their products, These three active ingredients avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, and octocrylene are the most common chemicals found in major brands that considers themselves “reef friendly.” Let’s dive into justy how unfriendly these ingredients can be.Īvobenzone. A lot of big sunscreen brands claim to be “reef friendly.” While these brands avoid the more well known and deeply researched toxic chemicals, (check our last blog post for a refresher), they fall short on truly avoiding all compounds that may potentially be hazardous to our health and our reefs. Our goal is to be 100% transparent and honest with you. Anyone can put labels on their products, like “reef friendly,” “reef safe,” and “natural.” These do not guarantee they are not toxic to marine life. Some brands have names or packaging that automatically make you think they must be natural or organic. Sunscreen manufacturers are not required to provide evidence that their products won’t harm marine life. The recent surge of clean products and mineral sunscreens has been accompanied by the labels “reef friendly” and “reef safe.” The truth is neither of these terms are officially regulated. While packaging and labeling should educate about a product, marketing strategies are often more focused on sales than providing accurate information. When traveling, please do your research and do your best to respect the rules of the city or island you are visiting.There is a lot of confusion in the way products are marketed and labled. First time offenders will be charged $1,000, and this will continue to double as the offenses rack up. If you are going to one of these beaches, I strongly recommend you to not use these sunscreens not because they destroy coral reefs but also because it is illegal to use non reef safe sunscreen there. Other sunscreens that contain harmful chemicals include: Alba Hawaiian Sunscreen, Coppertone, Naturopathica, Neutrogena, Hawaiian Tropic, Banana Boat and many more. Feel free to use it at home or when you are not getting in the water, but if there is ever a chance that you will be entering a beach with coral reefs, do not apply Sun Bum. They are reef “friendly” but still contain harmful chemicals that put coral reefs at risk. No matter what you have heard or seen, Sun Bum is NOT reef safe. Now let’s talk about specific sunscreens that are not reef safe. If it has one of the following chemicals or ingredients, it is NOT reef safe: oxybenzone, octinoxate, octocrylene, homosalate, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor, PABA, parabens, triclosan, any nanoparticles or “nano-sized” zinc or titanium, or any sunscreen that has exfoliating beads. But when coral bleaching is initiated, the coral releases the algae living in its tissues causing it to turn from that beautiful vibrant color to completely white.īeside research, the best way to know if a sunscreen is reef safe or not is by looking at the chemicals and ingredients that it is made up of. Now what is coral bleaching? Coral has a symbiotic relationship with the algae that inhabit it essentially these algae are responsible for nearly ALL of the energy the coral needs. In addition, they are also known to cause coral bleaching. While these two chemicals are fantastic for absorbing the sun's harmful rays, they are also known to alter DNA and disrupt endocrine processes that can lead to serious deformities in reefs. The two main culprits are oxybenzone and octinoxate. What about sunscreen makes it so dangerous and deadly to reefs though, Shelbi? Well, obviously the chemical components in the lotion. Sunscreen is one of the largest contributing factor to this chemical pollution. As reported by Marine Safe, as much as 82,000 different types of chemicals from personal care products are currently swimming around in our oceans and destroying our reefs. Now Shelbi, what does it mean to be "reef safe?" I'm glad you asked! Similar to chemical pollutants in the air and land around us, the ocean is also chemically polluted as well.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |