It’s July! For those of us in places where social distancing rules are loosening, this means hot beach days are becoming more common, and as a result there is more need than usual to protect our skin. It is important to keep our skin protected from harmful UV rays with sunscreen, but often times these products have ingredients that are harmful to marine life. In areas close to coral reefs, it has been found that ingredients in most popular sunscreens could lead to bleaching of the coral by stimulating viral infections.
Although it would be nice to have an everyday sunscreen seen as not harmful to the ocean, these products are usually much more expensive and less accessible. So, here are 5 conscious changes that are more attainable:
1. Avoid Oxybenzone : A key ingredient in most sunscreens as it blocks UV rays but it speeds up the process of coral bleaching too. As it is most popular, this is a key ingredient to filter our products that studies consistently show have a negative impact on marine life. A more comprehensive list can be found here.
2. Check the brand: Some brands may have a history of using harmful ingredients and not being cruelty free. So, be sure to check the ingredient list and also check if brands may be certified by reliable environmental groups. Protect Land + Sea Certified has a list of products from different brands that have passed their lab testing and are deemed ‘reef safe’. See link above.
3. Layer clothes: If you are not planning to go into the water, wearing dark clothes that are densely knit will help protect from the sun’s UV rays. Wearing a hat is an effective way to protect the face and neck with shade. By layering clothes, the need to continuously reapply sunscreen will decrease along with the runoff of the lotion into the ocean. Some brands sell clothing specifically for UV protection but that is not always necessary. Read more here.
4. Use lotions rather than sprays: When using spray sunscreen, the wind could bring the harsh chemicals into the water/sand which will eventually lead further into the ocean. Although spray lotions may seem convenient, they require more product to be used to be as effective as lotions.
5. How you can help: There are choices we make everyday that can change our lifestyles from being detrimental for coral reefs to being protective. Advocating for change and being conscious as a consumer is a role many of us can partake in and we can start today!
Some products we recommend:
Price: £5.60
SPF 30 Lotion
They have a tinted and non tinted sunscreen for different skin tones.
Can be bought in UK here
Price: £11.95
SPF 40 Balm
Promoted to be one of the clearer balms by not leaving a white cast should be practical for all skin tones and types
UK distributor here
Price £12.74
SPF 30 Lotion
The brand also has tinted sunscreens and balms. Reviewed as ‘light-weight’ and is promoted to blend well.
Shipped to UK from their website.
PLUS
At the moment, Earth Hero only ships to the United States, but the products listed have been researched before put on the site. This website has a list of different sunscreens (including Badger’s which is Protect Land + Sea Certified) and can be used as a directory of products to find internationally.
Sources:
Link to article that tested different SPFs: