Grab your goggles and gear and head to the water! It’s summertime and there’s no better way to spend the hot day than at the beach or lake. But before you dive in, protect yourself from the sun with sunscreen and protect the salt and fresh waters by making sure it’s reef safe.Hanauma Bay in O’ahu, Hawaii is one of the island’s go-to spots for snorkeling. With a variety of coral reefs to explore and marine animals to greet, it is unfortunately suffering from coral bleaching and ecosystem disruptions due to contaminants left behind by sunscreen residue. An average of 2,600 daily visitors accounted for 412 pounds of sunscreen left in the ocean, according to a 2017 study by the Haereticus Environmental Laboratory (HEL). Two of the most prominent and dangerous ingredients in sunscreen, oxybenzone and octinoxate, strip coral of their nutrients and can cause defects and deformities in coral reproduction (4). 

“The damaging effects of sunscreen can occur in concentrations as low as 62 parts per trillion. This is equivalent to one drop of oxybenzone in six Olympic-sized swimming pools. Imagine what 412 pounds of sunscreen is doing to this coral reef haven.” (HEL)Outside of beaches, freshwater ecosystems, like lakes and rivers, are also put at risk from these chemicals, hindering the growth of algae and disrupting the endocrine system in fish, disfiguring the DNA (8). Regardless of where you are, avoid these contaminants to best support our aquatic ecosystems.Not only does this impair the health of our beautiful waters, it also impairs our personal health. A pregnant woman exposed to oxybenzone through sunscreen, personal care products, or residue from beaches can transfer it into the placenta and breast milk, causing the baby to be susceptible to birth defects and diseases, notably Hirschsprung’s Disease (5). In short, Hirschsprung’s Disease is a birth defect where nerve cells are absent in the rectum and colon, resulting in bowel issues and abdominal pain (6). In addition to the health concerns from oxybenzone, octinoxate can cause the skin condition Contact Dermatitis to appear, showing as an irritating and blistering rash (7).Although aerosol or spray sunscreens are quick and easy to use, they contain toxins that can impair the lungs and cause respiratory issues when inhaled. When sprayed, the cloud of sunscreen will stick to the sand and get washed in with the shore. Take the extra minute to lather on a lotion-based sunscreen rather than cause damage to yourself, others, and the environment (1).

What Should I Buy?

The Haereticus Environmental Laboratory (HEL) List makes shopping for sunscreens simple, giving us a list of ingredients to steer clear of. This list advises people to avoid products with oxybenzone and octinoxate, microplastics (spheres or beads), nanoparticles, and a variety of other chemicals. While some conventional brands may label their products as “reef safe”, this is often seen as greenwashing because the term is not regulated. To take care of yourself and the environment, look for labels that have the certified ‘Protect Land + Sea Certification Seal’ (PL+S), which guarantees the product is completely free of harmful ingredients.The National Park Service states that an estimated 4,000 to 6,000 tons of sunscreen washes off into oceans worldwide every year. At Earth Fare, we care about being fare. Help us help you and pick up Derma-E, Badger, or Think brand sunscreen for your next summer vacation to help keep the Earth’s waters healthy, clean, and vacation-ready.Nowwww you can dive in!

SOURCES:

1. https://savethereef.org/about-reef-save-sunscreen.html
2. https://www.haereticus-lab.org/protect-land-sea-certification/
3. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/idkt_sunscreen.htm#:~:text=It’s%20not%20just%20the%20Ocean,and%20into%20our%20own%20backyards.
4. https://coral.org/en/blog/sunscreen-and-corals/?utm_term=&utm_campaign=CORAL:+Blog&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=7804351857&hsa_cam=16499355796&hsa_grp=135383991778&hsa_ad=586346445547&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=dsa-1641438185901&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=16499355796&gbraid=0AAAAADorQnEiD2AcwTH-M_I2Ktihj3_Sd&gclid=CjwKCAjwvO7CBhAqEiwA9q2YJYrdf00K_KOYrY-nc0j8aoUwBm8nC4PgEbhBOpBAiWwp8VG7T-R9uxoC6f4QAvD_BwE
5. https://www.haereticus-lab.org/oxybenzone
6. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hirschsprungs-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20351556
7. https://www.haereticus-lab.org/octinoxate
8. https://tropicsport.com/blogs/posts/chemical-sunscreen-in-freshwater-ecosystems-take-tropicsport-upstream