
#List of reef safe sunscreen skin
We all know how important sunscreen is to protect our skin against the sun and avoid sunburn (or eventually even worse, skin cancer). Looking for more sunscreens? Check out our guides on powder sunscreen, spray sunscreen, mineral sunscreen, sunscreen for dark skin, kids sunscreen, baby sunscreen, face sunscreen, and tinted sunscreens.If you buy something through the links, I may earn an affiliate commission (at no cost to you). We put together a list of our faves to give you the best - and most universally accepted - options. Virgin Islands anytime soon, it’s important to have a reef-safe sunscreen option on hand. So if you’re planning to visit Hawaii, Key West, Palau, Los Cabos, Rivera Maya, Aruba, Bonaire, or the U.S. It’s also good to note that there are already several coastal travel destinations that have strictly enforced bans on chemical sunscreen. In addition, each of these sunscreens has tons of positive reviews on Amazon and Sephora. One of our writers, Jennifer Hussein, also tested several of the sunscreens that we’re recommending here to give you first-hand feedback on their application and wear. These sunscreens also have an SPF of at least 30, which is the minimum recommended number by the Skin Cancer Foundation. We've made sure that all of the following sunscreens in this guide leave out oxybenzone, octinoxate, and more, so you can enjoy your fun in the sun without worrying about Mother Earth. Luckily, reef-safe sunscreens are becoming much more widely available, so it’s easier than ever to make this environmentally conscious swap.

In particular, reef-safe sunscreen uses “non-nano” or non-nanoparticle-sized zinc or titanium, as studies have found nanoparticles to have toxic effects on aquatic organisms.Ĭhemical sunscreens, on the other hand, use ingredients such as oxybenzone and octinoxate to provide sun protection. They’re considered reef-safe or coral-safe because these ingredients don’t damage coral reefs, and aren’t found to be harmful to marine life. These mineral ingredients physically block UVA and UVB rays from entering the skin (which is why mineral sunscreen is also referred to as physical sunscreen). What is reef-safe sunscreen? Simply put, it’s a mineral sunscreen that uses specific ingredients - namely zinc oxide and titanium dioxide - to protect skin from UV rays. It’s been proven that freshly applied sunscreen can be harmful to our ocean's disappearing coral reefs, which is why switching to reef-safe sunscreen is crucial as we get more proactive about preserving our marine ecosystems.

When buying sunscreen, it’s super important to keep ingredients in mind - and we’re not just talking about ingredients that are safe for your skin.
