Here is a list of sunscreens that are considered reef-safe in Hawaii as they do not contain chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate. Our SPF 50 sunscreens provide broad spectrum coverage against UVA and UVB rays in a variety of water-resistant formulas. Choose from SPF 50 sunscreen lotion, SPF 50 sunscreen spray, and SPF 50 sunscreen body serum to best fit your suncare needs. Consumer Reports testing found white t-shirts provided as good, if not better, UV-protection than advertised UPF-rated clothing. Even when wet. 2. Choose Non-Nano Lotions

Beginning January 1, 2021, bans the sale, offer of sale, or distribution in the State of any sunscreen that contains oxybenzone or octinoxate, or both, without a prescription issued by a licensed healthcare provider to preserve marine ecosystems. Hawaii law: SB2571 SD2 HD2 CD1The silver lining(-ish)? The lab highlights that the presence of benzene appears to be from manufacturing contamination, unrelated to the specific sunscreen ingredients used. Based on that, it's safe to select a sunscreen from the list of options that Valisure didn't detect any benzene in, among them the below SPFs from Neutrogena, Aveeno, La Roche-Posay, CVS Health, and Banana Boat. However, Gerson recommends avoiding spray sunscreens out of concern about inhaling the ingredients. For their part, a Neutrogena representative says: "Nothing is more important than the health and safety of the people who use our products. Benzene is not an ingredient in any of our personal care products and we are reviewing the findings presented in this petition. Every ingredient we use in our products is carefully selected to ensure safety and performance in line with our rigorous 5-step safety assurance process. We are committed to making high-quality, safe and effective sunscreens available to consumers." Our spray sunscreen comes in variety of spray bottles. Here’s some help in understanding the differences: Lotion Spray: Used for our Mineral Skin Nourishing Milk Spray. This non-aerosol and ultra-spreadable formula blends into the skin, leaving no white residue. Reef-safe or reef-friendly sunscreens are sunscreens that do not contain chemicals oxybenzone or octinoxate.

We want the snorkeling to be even better for Henry when he is older. 1. Wear Sun Protection Clothing Scientists are continuing to study other sunscreen ingredients to determine their impact on ocean life, like avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, and homosalate. The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology stated that more research is required to comprehend the impact of sunscreens on coral. Sunscreens with 50 SPF protect your skin from UVA rays (aging rays) and UVB rays (burning rays). The sun protection factor (SPF) number on your sunscreen indicates how much of the sun’s burning rays will be filtered out.Spray-on sunscreens are super convenient. One can even buy reef-friendly spray-on sunscreens. The problem with spray-on is the spray goes everywhere. It covers the sand which then washes into the ocean. Sunscreen isn’t the only foe of healthy reefs. Other polluters include ocean warming, agricultural runoff, and sewage dumping. But banning harmful chemicals is one variable swimmers and the State of Hawaii can control. I am not a sunscreen expert. In no way do I know everything about sun protection but I do know I want to keep my baby boy Henry and Erica safe. Practicing chemical engineering made me respect chemicals, their power, and what we don’t know about them. On January 1st, 2021, sunscreens containing chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate are no longer sold in Hawaii. These chemicals have been found to contribute to coral reef bleaching.

The study by the non-profit Haereticus Environmental Laboratories in partnership with NOAA found oxybenzone and octinoxate to cause coral bleaching. The authors found that baby coral exposed to oxybenzone and octinoxate showed signs of distress, including coral bleaching.Analytical chemistry is now measuring chemicals in the environment at the part per billion and lower level. We know the chemicals are in the environment now, we know they are from humans, and we don’t know if they are safe or not. Coral bleaching is a condition that doesn’t kill coral but leaves it in severe stress, exposing it to infection and may lead to death. The chemicals also caused DNA damage and irregularities in their growth and skeleton. pounds per day of sunscreen in Hanauma Bay, located in Oahu, where visitors average 2,600 swimmers daily.

Some manufacturers use both chemicals and minerals. For example, the popular baby-safe sunscreen (in our drawer now) Coppertone Water Babies uses oxybenzone as the active ingredient and zinc oxide as the mineral base. It will be illegal to sell this sunscreen in Hawaii by January 1st, 2021.

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Heading into the summer months, it's more important than ever to have a sunscreen on hand that you trust. But as a report from independent laboratory Valisure revealed last week, 27 percent of the sunscreen and after-sun products it tested contained benzene, a carcinogen — and unsettlingly, many of them are household names. There is no agreed term for reef-safe or reef-friendly sunscreen products. The terms are not regulated and the FDA has not weighed in on the issue by setting a standard. Also, spray-on sunscreens are not recommended for children as the spray is more susceptible to getting in their eyes and mouth. The FDA recommends against using sprays on kids because of the likelihood of inhalation and respiratory problems like asthma. Also, sprays don’t cover as well as rub-on lotions. 5. Buy “Paraben-Free”