The size of minerals can also have an impact. It's important to actually check the “active ingredients” label on the back of your sunscreen or personal care product to ensure that reef-harming chemicals are not included. Unfortunately the term “reef friendly” is not regulated, so you can’t always trust products with this description. How do I know if a sunscreen is "reef friendly"? The only difference is the cosmetic feel on the skin.” So you’re pretty much good to go with a mineral-based option. “Both nano particle-a smaller particle size-and traditional zinc oxide sunscreens are both safe and effective, and both will be considered safe for reefs. “The term reef safe typically means that the sunscreen contains only mineral UV-blocking ingredients like oxide and titanium dioxide,” explains Joshua Zeichner, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. These ingredients form an actual physical block to shield skin from absorbing any rays (whereas chemical filters absorb UV and turn it into heat that’s released from skin). You’ll be able to find them by flipping the SPF tube over and looking for the active ingredients: zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. To keep ocean life happy, the key is to find an SPF that uses physical UVA and UVB filters (as opposed to the chemical ones that have been connected to coral reef deterioration). Not only this, they are also reef safe and environmentally friendly.Marine Sanctuaries are home to some of the ocean’s most biologically diverse and culturally significant marine areas, and we need to ensure that these critical areas are protected from harmful chemicals, in addition to other damaging practices like oil and gas extraction This ensures that they provide UVB, UVA, and even HEV (blue light) protection, alongside great anti-aging properties. All of their sunscreens are mineral based using non-nano zinc oxide. This brand is non GMO and uses organic ingredients. All Good is a certified B Corporation, Climate Neutral and Leaping Bunny certified cruelty free. All Good: A Reef Safe Sunscreen ChoiceĪll Good is absolutely committed to products that are environmentally friendly. Here are just four of our favorites for you to take a look at. There are some good sunscreen brands out there that are really committed to being reef safe. It’s also best to avoid spray sunscreens, as these deposit the product into the air as much as they do onto your skin.Ħ Eco-friendly Sunscreen Brands to Consider When the particles are bigger, it will leave that distinctive white look on your skin. This means any that say ‘invisible’ or ‘clear’ need to be avoided. What you want is a sunscreen that is mineral based but contains non-nanoparticles. Bigger particles, however, don’t have this effect. Nano-particles from mineral based sunscreens can cause damage to reefs when they are absorbed, even if the particles are too small for us to see. In general, a reef safe sunscreen will be mineral based, but not all of these products are eco-friendly either. Mineral based is typically a better choice than chemical based. If they contain either of the two chemicals that we’ve spoken about, oxybenzone or octinoxate, then it’s a sunscreen that you want to avoid. If you are looking for eco-friendly sunscreen, always check the ingredients. With chemical based sunscreens in particular, many people can have allergies to the ingredients. Then there is mineral based, which provides a barrier between our skin and the sun. There is chemical based, which is designed to absorb the UV rays before it hits our skin. Sunscreen generally comes in one of two different forms. This post does contain affiliate links which means we might make a commission off of a purchase you make, but this is at no additional cost to you! Affiliate links help us keep The Honest Consumer as a free resource to those learning about conscious consumerism. We’ve put together this guide that details everything we know about sunscreen and its effects on the environment, as well as some tips to help you stay safe in the sun – the eco-friendly way. These dangers affect not only us, but also the natural world we live in, particularly our oceans. As a society we’ve been focusing on the very real dangers of sun exposure and skin-cancer, but the products that we are using to keep ourselves safe may in fact be having other consequences.
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