How to Pick the Perfect Eco-Friendly Sunscreen This Summer

Finding a plastic-free sunscreen that is marine-safe and good for your skin is easier than you think.

Sunscreen is imperatively important to wear daily, even if it is overcast outside. It’s actually even more important to wear suncream when it is overcast because the UV rays are stronger!

Wearing sunscreen daily has benefits too. It reduces the risk of sunburns, prevents skin discolouration, and reduces inflammation from sun exposure. Not only that but wearing suncream minimises signs of ageing and greatly reduces the risk of skin cancer.

Is sunscreen bad for the environment?

While sunscreen is not always harmful to the environment, there are some things to be aware of to make sure you are purchasing an eco-friendly cream.

Plastic bottles are a hazard to marine life when they aren't disposed of properly or end up breaking down into microplastics in the ocean. Opt for suncream in a plastic-free bottle as the most eco-friendly option.

Another environmental problem with suncream is that it washes off when we swim or shower, making its way back into our oceans. This is a considerable problem because sunscreens are filled with chemicals that threaten marine life and biodiversity.

The toxic chemicals in suncream can impair the growth and photosynthesis of green algae, decrease fertility in fish, cause bleaching in coral, and damage the immune and reproductive system in sea urchins.

It's best to use a reef-safe suncream with no toxic chemicals, that's ideally also waterproof and does not run off into the water source after you apply it. These eco suncreams are a great option.

What chemicals should you avoid in sunscreen?

Toxic ingredients such as oxybenzone, octinoxate, nano titanium dioxide, and nano zinc oxide in sunscreen can harm coral reefs and sea creatures. However, you can easily find reef-safe suncream that contains non-nano zinc oxide which is much healthier for your skin and safer for marine life.

Zinc oxide is a powerful mineral for protecting your skin from the sun. It reflects harmful UV rays away from your skin and prevents them from being absorbed by your skin.

We highly recommend Sun Bum suncream which enriches your skin with Vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps to neutralise free radicals, which are the main cause of premature skin aging.

Are traditional suncreams killing the reef?

The chemicals present in traditional suncreams are extremely damaging to the reef, which is why it’s so important to choose reef-safe sunscreen. These chemicals accumulate in the tissues of coral and cause bleaching, damage DNA, deform young coral and can kill coral completely.

Reef-friendly sunscreen uses physical UVA and UVB filters as opposed to chemical ones. Check the active ingredients in the sunscreen and look for zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. It's the non-nano particle or micro-sized that is best as this is the form of zinc and titanium that is not harmful to your skin or the ocean.

Finding a sunscreen that protects your skin and doesn’t damage marine ecosystems is easy when you know what to avoid. We offer sunscreens with protection ranging from SPF 15 to SPF 50, so you can find the perfect eco-friendly sunscreen for your skin.

Browse all eco-friendly skincare solutions to ensure you're looking after your skin the eco way.