![]() ![]() There is no agreed-upon definition for commonly used terms such as ‘reef safe’ or ‘marine safe’. Whilst most consumers support the move towards environmentally friendly sun protection, it can be confusing to understand what this entails. ![]() ![]() So what does marine and reef safe really mean? Well, much like the research, these terms lack clarity. This area of increasing interest is certainly complex and driving demand for marine-friendly suncare solutions is challenging manufacturers and brands to formulate products that protect both the skin and the environment. Dr Brett Sallach, Department of Environment and Geography, University of York said: “Undoubtedly products that can help protect against the harmful effects of UV radiation on human health are hugely important, and therefore we need reliable and extensive evidence to suggest any changes or scaling back of these products”. In April 2021, researchers from the University of York noted that more studies are required on the environmental effect of sunscreen on coral reefs across the globe. This concern is voiced by many others in the scientific community. In 2018, The International Coral Reef Initiative released a report stating that much of the research to date is limited because it has been conducted in laboratory settings rather than in real environments and also focuses on individual chemicals, rather than sunscreens as a whole. Similar laws have been passed in the US Virgin Islands, Bonaire Island in the Caribbean, the Pacific island nation of Palau and Aruba.īut in reality, we know very little about the effect of sunscreen on the environment. state to prohibit the sale of sunscreen with oxybenzone and octinoxate which many researchers suggest are harmful to aquatic life. Indeed, many tourist hotspots around the world have passed laws against potentially harmful sunscreens. “Pollution in the environment from chemical sunscreens can result in a reduced resilience to climate change events, and even contribute to reproductively impaired organisms, including coral and fish, that can go locally extinct in a matter of generations by inducing sterility and reproductive failure,” says Cheryl Woodley, Research Scientist at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. There is a widespread belief that some UV filter compounds within these sun protection products have detrimental impacts on marine organisms. Google searches for “reef-safe sunscreen” more than quadrupled from 2014 – 2019, putting it firmly at the top of the personal care agenda. ![]() Plastic waste polluting the oceans has unfortunately become a familiar image but what about the pollution that we can’t physically see? 14,000 tons of sunscreen lotion and a total of 82,000 chemicals from personal-care products are estimated to wash into the oceans each year.Īs one aspect of a wider trend that is resulting in more eco-conscious consumers, we have witnessed a significant increase in public, political and scientific interest in the effect of suncare products on marine life, in particular coral reefs. ![]()
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