Five Surprising Facts Sifting Through the Shadows of Sunscreen Sustainability and Safety
January 31, 2024
The sunscreen we apply daily is loaded with ingredients that promise to safeguard us from harmful UV rays. However, when we take a swim or shower, these substances are washed off into our water bodies. It turns out that many ubiquitous sunscreen ingredients are responsible for substantial marine life damage. The chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate, found in many mainstream sunscreens, pose major risks to coral reefs. Researchers have found these toxins to induce coral bleaching, stunt growth, and even fatally wound baby coral. As we rub on our sunscreen, we rarely associate it with vast underwater ecosystems' demise - a sobering effect of a product made to shield us.