For Reef’s Sake
Hey—the ocean called, and she wants you to stop using toxic sunscreens
Love the skin and nature with these non-toxic sunscreens perfect for tropical summers
Hawaii became the first US state this year to ban the sale of any sunscreens containing ingredients linked to the harming or destruction of coral reefs: oxybenzone and octinoxate.
Since then, the US Virgin Islands and the island city of Key West in Florida have followed in Hawaii’s footsteps with similar bans. But it was the Pacific archipelago of Palau, which prides itself on being a “pristine paradise” for divers, that set the precedent in 2020 when it became the first country to ban ‘reef toxic’ sunscreen.
“This is a big issue for reef environments that rely on tourism and heavy people traffic,” says Craig Leeson, who directed the documentary A Plastic Ocean.
It’s estimated that up to 6,000 tonnes of sunscreen wash into the world’s coral reefs each year, with much of that concentrated in popular diving and snorkelling sites, of which Asia boasts some of the best and most sought-after by travellers.
So in demand are certain
Asian destinations that popular islands, including Boracay in the Philippines, and Maya Bay on Phi Phi Island of The Beach fame in Thailand, made headlines when they were temporarily closed in an attempt to recover from damage caused by overtourism.
They’ve remained quiet, however, about sunscreen— even though, says Leeson, it has “also become a human health issue, as new studies reveal the toxic nature of some chemicals in sun care products”.
Indeed. If it’s so bad for the environment, why are people putting it on their skin?
“Human health and environmental health are really one and the same,” says Dave Baker, associate professor and coral reef ecologist at the University of Hong Kong. He also does research and development for Archireef, which combines marine biology, architectural design and 3D printing to produce artificial coral reefs.
“We aspire to engineer new habitats for marine life, says Baker. “These kinds of innovations are sexy and buzz-worthy, but they can only ever be a small-scale solution. Although recently, our partners were sharing photos of a demonstration site and found a cuttlefish laying eggs in our reef tiles. It was the coolest thing.”
Baker acknowledges that while the move to ban toxic sunscreen is well-intentioned, it’s merely a small step in the larger fight to save coral reefs, as overfishing, ocean acidification, warming waters and pollution (including fertiliser used on the green at your favourite oceanside golf course) are killing coral reefs around the world. “It’s an issue that’s been contentious for years,” he says.
Still, when it comes to doing better for the environment, and for our health, starting small is better than doing nothing at all. As more of us use
SPF in our daily skincare routines, now’s the time to start thinking about what’s going on our skins and into our oceans.
In the meantime, here are some brands that have banned the use of oxybenzone or octinoxate, so you can use them safely.
1 UNSUN
Designing products that are “kind to the person using it as well as the environment it’s being used in”, according to founder Katonya B Breaux, Unsun has brought new meaning to broad spectrum, creating a range of tinted face sunscreens with all skin tones in mind. The brand also makes a fabulous SPF 15 hand cream.
2 SUPERGOOP
“Spf-obsessed” founder Holly Thaggard has one goal: to inspire everyone to be sun-safe every day.
“It’s important to us that people feel comfortable using Supergoop, whether that comes down to the texture or the ingredients we use,” she says, adding that Supergoop was the first sunscreen brand to shun oxybenzone back in 2007. Today, the brand has a dizzying range of sunscreens that include skincare, make-up and sports-friendly formulas.
3 ULTRA VIOLETTE
Ava Matthews and Bec Jefferd founded Ultra Violette with the idea according to their manifesto, of designing a “wardrobe of facial sunscreens” that “didn’t bore us to tears”. Produced entirely in sun-loving
Australia, the signature electric blue-packaged collection keeps it simple with three face products, an SPF 50+ serum, body sunscreen and a collection of juicy-hued lip balms.
4 ALL GOOD
Beyond being veganand reef-friendly, All Good is a Climate Neutral Certified brand, meaning it has measured, reduced and offset its carbon footprint to become 100 per cent carbon neutral. Its sunscreen range includes lotions, sprays and rich body butters, for those who prefer to lay it on thick.
5 EVERYDAY HUMANS
Everyday Humans founder Charlotte Pienaar is Hong Kongborn and currently based in Singapore, where the sun beams down year-round. Its cheeky range of products include a Resting Beach Face sunscreen serum and the popular Oh My Bod!, which smells of cucumber and green tea.