Hawaiian Air joins sunscreen push

Hawaiian Airlines has joined the campaign to educate tourists on vacation in Hawaii about sunscreen products that harm marine life.

Throughout this month, flight attendants will be handing out samples of Raw Elements, a chemical-free, non-GMO product that does not hurt marine life, including coral.

The airline also is showing “Reefs at Risk,” an 11-minute documentary about the problem affecting the fragile ecosystem, on its flights.

In 2015, the National Ocean Service reported that a team of international scientists had found that oxybenzone “is highly toxic to juvenile corals and other marine life.”

Many skin-care products — nearly 3,500 worldwide, according to a U.S. government report — contain oxybenzone, a chemical also known as BP-3.

The study found that swimmers using the common but dangerous sunscreens were contributing to problems such as DNA damage and deformities in baby coral.

The film notes that even sunbathers who never enter the water also pose a risk. Sunscreen residue left in the sand can make its way into the ocean.

Besides providing Raw Elements samples this month, Hawaiian will sell full-size bottles at a discounte on f lights through the end of June.

Several hotels in Hawaii also provide samples of and sell environmentally friendly sunscreen.

Info: lat.ms / reef preservation