By Claire Park
Many sunscreens contain toxic chemicals that harm coral reefs and their broader oceanic environment.
Swimmers near coral reefs. Jess Loiterton. Pexels.
Before hitting the beach, it’s a no-brainer to lather up on sunscreen if you want to avoid getting a killer sunburn. But while you may be protected, did you know the sunscreen you’re wearing might be killing a coral reef? Your sunburn may last a week, but sunscreens containing certain chemicals can have harmful environmental effects that last forever.
When making a broad-spectrum sunscreen, many qualities are accounted for during its design and production. First and foremost, it must protect users from the detrimental impacts of sun exposure by blocking both UVB and UVA rays. In addition, many consumers appreciate a sunscreen’s ability to rub into the skin, provide long-lasting protection and remain affordable. To meet all these desired features, chemicals such as oxybenzone, octinoxate, and octocrylene are added to sunscreens. As they rub off in the ocean, they enter the marine environment, becoming bioavailable to marine life.
Coral reefs are particularly vulnerable to oxybenzone, which becomes highly toxic when exposed to light. This, along with rising ocean temperatures, deforms and kills symbiotic zooxanthellae living within coral tissue, which provide the coral with nutrition and energy. As a result, the coral expels the infected zooxanthellae, leading to coral bleaching and increased vulnerability to disease and toxic chemicals.
This bleaching affects the reef’s ability to act as a nursery and feeding ground for hundreds of marine species, and the damaged ecosystem loses the benefits provided by healthy, functioning reefs. These benefits include coastal protection from storm surge, preservation of sandy beaches, breeding grounds for fisheries and the value that comes from appreciating the reef while snorkeling, scuba diving and viewing the wildlife. The marine wildlife itself directly faces detrimental effects from toxic chemical sunscreens, which can impair the neurological and reproductive abilities of fish, phytoplankton and other aquatic life; increase levels of disease and miscarriages; cause deformities; and act as hormone disruptors impacting immune systems.
With this in mind, planning your beach day starts at the store. When stocking up on sunscreen, it’s important to be aware of the two types available for sale. The first are chemical sunscreens, which, although most commonly used, contain damaging active ingredients like oxybenzone and octinoxate. The second are mineral sunscreens, which are often marketed as "environmentally friendly” and “reef safe” due to their most common ingredients being zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These labels, however, can be misleading, considering the terms are not regulated. Mineral sunscreens are only truly “reef safe” if they use non-nano zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, since small nanoparticles can be toxic to corals, fish and other reef organisms in high concentrations.
While you may take a little more time at the supermarket, it's worth being intentional about checking the back of sunscreens to ensure they don’t contain any harmful chemicals present on the HEL list, a list of pollutant chemicals that threaten land and sea ecosystems, and are void of any nanoparticles. So instead of reaching for the widely available yet potentially toxic sunscreen brands like Hawaiian Tropic, Coppertone and Banana Boat, look for safe alternatives like ThinkSport’s Mineral Sunscreen, Blue Lizard’s Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen and CeraVe’s Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen.
GET INVOLVED:
On top of being more conscious of sunscreen ingredients and mineral particle sizes, there are more ways you can partake in protecting both your skin and the reefs. One way to do this is by avoiding spray-on sunscreens altogether. Even though their easy application is appealing, much of the sunscreen ends up in the environment instead of on your skin, and it’s also unhealthy to inhale. Another mindful choice you can make is to opt for plastic-free packaging since tons of plastic waste end up in the ocean to be ingested by marine organisms, causing them death or injury. And lastly, you can lessen sunscreen consumption overall by wearing a long-sleeve rashguard, shirt and hat to cover exposed skin from the sun. With all of these deliberate efforts taken together, your skin, the reef and the marine environment with all its organisms will thank you.
Claire Park
Claire Park is a sophomore at the University of California, Berkeley studying English and Media Studies with a minor in Music. Her experience writing lifestyle content for UC Berkeley's The Daily Californian newspaper has inspired her to expand her scope to the realm of travel, pursuing her aspirations of becoming a travel journalist. When not writing, Claire can be found singing, reading romance books, journaling at the beach, or acquiring a sweet, caffeinated beverage.