ONCE READ AN ARTICLE about over-tourism in Thailand, and about how entire beaches had to be closed to give them time to recuperate due to the fact that their coral reefs were on the brink of dying. And a contributor to this problem is sunscreen, (along with other factors, including above-average sea water temperatures caused by global warming). You most likely would have come across the numbers before: there may be as many as 82,000 kinds of chemicals from personal care products that have made their way into the world’s oceans (washed off of us in showers), according to a report by Marine Life. And it is estimated that around 14,000 tonnes of sunscreen wash into the oceans and seas each year. About 80 percent of corals in the Caribbean have been lost in the last 50 years due to pollution, coastal development, and warming waters.
This startling news made me wonder if perhaps sunscreen was such a good thing after all. (It is). Despite its drawbacks—such as the fact that some chemical sunscreens—avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene, and ecamsule—are absorbed into the bloodstream, regular use of sunscreen is still the best way to reduce the risk for melanoma and skin cancer and premature ageing. But if you're like us, and concerned about both your skin and the environment, there is a safer sunscreen solution than chemical sunscreens: mineral sunscreens. And especially mineral sunscreens that contain non-nano Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide.
What is it that causes sunscreen to damage coral reefs? The chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate, two of the most commonly used UV blockers around the world. When you swim after applying sunscreen, these chemicals can seep into the water, where they’re absorbed by corals. The nanoparticles in these substances can disrupt coral’s reproduction and growth cycles, and ultimately lead to bleaching. Even if you don’t swim while wearing sunscreen, it can go down the drain when you shower later.
It has become such a problem that in July 2018, Hawaii became the first U.S. state to ban the sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate. The island city of Key West recently also voted to bar the sale of sunscreens with those ingredients. Both laws will go into effect in 2021.
So what can we do? As mentioned before, there are safer and more environmentally friendly alternatives, namely oxybenzone and octinoxate free sunscreens.
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