Clean sunscreen = healthy reef.
Sunscreen, it’s essential. Especially in the tropics when you’re in intense sun while swimming, hanging out at the beach or pool, or just walking around checking out the sites and looking for coffee. There are literally hundreds of sunscreen brands and formula variations. Obviously, I can’t cover them all, but I can narrow the selection down to this: I only wear reef-safe sunscreens, preferably in recyclable packaging. So, this list of options will only include those brands that meet that criteria.
It’s a short list, but it’s not exhaustive; I know there are more brands out there that I’m not aware of. I also skipped a large number of brands because they are packaged in plastic. It seems odd to me to create a reef-friendly sunscreen then put it in plastic, as plastic is entering the ocean everyday at an alarming rate and wreaking all sorts of havoc on marine life and ecosystems.
But first, a little bit about the two kinds of sunscreen:
-The mineral-based formulas, which use natural mineral ingredients.
-Non-mineral chemical formulas, which tend to use ingredients like Oxybenzone and Octinoxate, both of which are bad for people and reefs.
Here’s a quick rundown of both:
Mineral Based: Mineral based formulas use one or both of the minerals zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, which are extremely effective at blocking both UVA and UVB. These brands also use various other natural ingredients such as coconut oil, beeswax, or shea butter, to name just a few. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, in the non-nano form, are too big to be absorbed into the skin, unlike oxybenzone and octinoxate, both of which can be absorbed into the skin and have been linked to hormone disruption.
Non-mineral based: Any sunscreen using non-organic chemical ingredients, such as oxybenzone and octinoxate. Studies have shown that even one drop of water with one or both of these chemicals can contaminate an olympic swimming pool-sized body of water. They may also be used in conjunction with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, so it’s best to read the ingredient list carefully before buying. One company I looked into goes to great lengths talking about how reef friendly they are, stating their mineral sunscreens are oxybenzone-free, but, the third ingredient on the ingredient list is octinoxate.
Happy sealife.
Fun Facts:
25% of sunscreen washes off our bodies when we swim.
The only truly reef-safe ingredient is non-nano zinc oxide.
It’s generally recommended to reapply after 80 minutes of water time.
Zinc oxide-based SPF 30 provides 97% protection from UVB rays, while zinc oxide-based SPF 50 provides 98% protection from UVB rays.
Not Fun Facts:
List of ingredients you DO NOT want in your sunscreen:
Any form of micro plastic beads or spheres
Any nanoparticles like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide (Non-nano=good!)
Oxybenzone
Octinoxate
Butylparaben
4-methylbenzylidene camphor
Octocrylene
Para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA)
Methyl, Ethyl, Propyl, Butyl, or Benzyl Paragon
Triclosan
Homosalate
Octisalate
Butyloctyl salicylic acid
Propylparaben
Any cosmetic nylon powder (Nylon-6, Nylon-10,etc)
All Orgasol polyamide products, and polyester plastic powders (polyester-8, polyester-25), nylon glitters, polyester glitters, HDI/trimethylol hexyllactone cross polymers, any polycarolactones, any polyethylene powders and fibers.
Jordy wears sunscreen.
And now, some great sunscreen brands!
1. Butter Me Up Organics SPF 45 2oz. $11.95+shipping. Made in California..
Ingredients: Non-nano zinc oxide, shea butter, bees wax, coconut oil, shea butter, mango butter, non-GMO grape seed oil, vitamin E.
Pros: The ingredients: very simple and good for the skin. Great website, very genuine. Packaged in glass, heavier to ship but recyclable.
Cons: None.
Where to buy: Butter Me Organics website. or on the website click on Stockists in the dropdown menu to see if it’s in a store near you.
2. All Good Sunscreen Butter SPF 30/50 1oz. $11+shipping. Made in California.
Ingredients: Non-nano zinc oxide, 25%, organic cocos nucifera (coconut) oil*, organic cera alba (beeswax)*, organic calendula officinalis flowers* infused in organic simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil*, iron oxides (CI 77491), iron oxides (CI 77499), octyldodecanol, trihydroxystearin, non-GMO tocopherol (vitamin E), yellow iron oxide. *certified organic ingredients.
Pros: Lots of organic ingredients, great price. Packaged in a recyclable tin.
Cons: Lots of ingredients? Takes time to track ingredients to make sure they’re reef safe. Just my personal quirk though.
Where to buy: From the website or check their store locator.
3. AO Organics SPF 30+. Made in Hawaii. $16/2.5oz tin. $18/2.5oz sunscreen stick+shipping. See their website for all other options. (Link here).
Ingredients: Non-nano zinc oxide, organic coconut oil, organic beeswax, organic cocoa butter, thanaka, organic cacao powder, organic shea butter, organic cinnamon oil
Pros: All natural vegan mineral sunscreen. Biodegradable cardboard and tin packaging
Cons: Shipping costs?
Where to buy: From the website, or check their store locator and see if a shop near you carries their products.
4. Manda Organic Sunpaste SPF 40. $28.00/40g (approx. 1.3oz).+shipping. Made in California.
Ingredients: Non-nano zinc oxide, organic coconut oil, organic beeswax, organic cocoa butter, thanaka, rganic cacao powder, organic shea butter, organic cinnamon oil.
Pros: 100% organic. Recyclable package options, including a bio-plastic tube made from sugar cane.
Cons: Price?
Where to buy: Buy from their website or check their store locator for a store near you.
Mick Fanning isn’t too cool for zinc.
5. Surfdurt SPF 30. $24.99/2oz.+shipping. Made in California.
Ingredients: Non-nano zinc oxide, cocoa butter, coconut oil, jojoba oil, avocado oil, beeswax, beeswax derivative, mango butter, vitamin E, iron oxide pigment
Pros: Bamboo and aluminum packaging, organic ingredients.
Cons: Maybe price, but they’ve checked all the other good boxes.
Where to buy: You can order from their website, or check their store finder, they’re in quite a few stores throughout the USA.
6. Raw Elements SPF 30. 3oz. $19.49+shipping. Made in USA.
Ingredients: Non-nano zinc oxide, sunlfower oil, cocoa butter, vitamin E, camellia sinensis leaf extract (organic green tea), camellia sinensis leaf extract (organic black tea), cannabis sativa seed oil (organic hemp seed oil), cera flava (organic beeswax), coffea arabica seed extract (organic coffee bean), helianthus annuus seed oil (organic sunflower oil), mangifera indica seed butter (natural mango butter), rosmarinus officinalis leaf oil (natural rosemary), theobroma cacao seed butter (cocoa butter), tocopherol.
Pros: All natural, recyclable packaging, great company.
Cons: More ingredients than necessary? (My own personal problem).
Where to buy: You can buy products of their website, or check their store locator for a shop near you.
7. Butter Me Up Organics SPF 45. 2oz. $11.95+shipping. Made in California
Ingredients: Non-nano zinc oxide, coconut oil, shea butter, mango butter, non-nano zinc oxide, Non-GMO grapeseed oil, vitamin E, beeswax.
Pros: Comes in recyclable glass jars, all organic. They make all their own products.
Cons: Simple and effective. No cons. Love the ingredients.
Where to buy: From their website, or check their store locator.
The sooner you start using sunscreen the fewer skin problems you’ll have later.
8. Empiresquid Organics SPF 50+ 8oz $38.00+shipping. Made in California.
Ingredients: Unrefined shea butter, macadamia nut oil, virgin coconut oil, non-nano zinc oxide, beeswax, lavender essential oil, peppermint essential oil, and vitamin e.
Pros: It’s reef safe, and not a bad price for 8oz. That would last quite a while. Glass container is recyclable.
Cons: They haven’t had their products tested in a lab, which doesn’t bother me: zinc is zinc, it does the job. Shea butter and coconut oil also have quite good SPF qualities. And I love beeswax in my sunscreen.
Where to buy: Go to their website to buy.
9. Avasol Surfer’s Barrier Stick. SPF 30 and 50. 1oz. $19.95+shipping. Made in California.
Ingredients: Non-nano zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, organic cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, organic simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, organic helianthus annuus (sunflower) oil, wildcrafted euphorbia cerifera (calendilla) wax, organic calophyllum Inophyllum (tamanu) oil, organic argania spinosa (argan) oil, silica, wildcrafted theobroma grandiflorum (cupuacu) seed butter, wildcrafted mauritia flexuosa (buriti) fruit oil, organic butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), rubus idaeus (red raspberry) seed oil, organic beeswax, tocopherol (vitamin E), iron oxides, organic fair trade vanilla planifolia (vanilla) fruit extract, propolis, plankton extract, mica, wildcrafted leptospermum scoparium (manuka) oil, organic rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, organic cinnamomum zeylanicum leaf oil.
Pros: It’s reef safe and packaged in cardboard. One of my personal favorites. I love the packaging. One stick lasts! Does not come off when you’re in the water.
Cons: Takes some work to wipe off when you’re done in the sun.
Where to Buy: Avasol website or check the store locator.
10. Sea and Summit SPF 30/50. 3oz. $19.80+shipping. Made in California
Ingredients: Zinc oxide, alfalfa extract, beeswax, cedar wood essential oil, iron oxide, jojoba oil, lanolin, lavender essential oil, mica, Brazilian micronized clay, olive oil, sea buckthorn oil, sesame oil, shea butter, titanium dioxide, virgin coconut oil, vitamin E, yellow iron oxide.
Pros: Great ingredients and reef safe. Same price as Avasol but has 2oz more. Plastic-free packaging.
Cons: Can’t think of any.
Where to buy: From their website or find a store on their store locator.
And there you have it.
If I’ve missed any really amazing reef-safe brands email me and let me know!
Don’t forget your sunscreen!
You too can look good wearing sunscreen.
Written by Marc Tepe