Reef Friendly Sunscreen

The problem is right there in the name: chemicals. Many big brand companies formulate their products with harsh chemicals that, although may be cheap to make, are not healthy for our bodies—or the oceans they make their way towards. Cheap filler ingredients, like butylparaben and octinoxate, extend the shelf life of products, but they’ve been shown to be readily absorbed by skin, enter the bloodstream, and disrupt our endocrine system. They also lead to coral bleaching, so if you’re looking for reef safe* sunscreen, be sure to avoid these ingredients.

The main adversary to coral reef safe* sunscreen is oxybenzone, a seriously scary ingredient found in most chemical sunscreens. Not only does this chemical enter our bloodstream within 30 minutes of application, make its way to urine and breast milk, disrupt hormonal functioning, and demonstrate links to breast cancer, but it also has toxic effects on coral reefs. Read your label and check it twice to make sure your formula is free of this harsh ingredient when shopping reef safe* sunscreen or sunscreen for allergic skin.

Absolutely. We make sunscreen biodegradable formulas with all-natural minerals that are 100% safe for marine life. Even if you’re not near an ocean, it’s important to use reef safe* sunscreen in order to avoid pollution contribution—the compound can make its way from our drainage systems and into bodies of water. It’s not just plastic waste that pollutes our water; an estimated 14,000 tons of sunscreen enter the world’s oceans annually. And that’s a huge problem, considering it only takes a single drop of oxybenzone in 4.3 million gallons of water to kill coral! Whether you’re at the beach or on the mainland, wearing coral reef safe* sunscreen is a must.

When you shop with Colorescience, you don’t need to worry about reading every product label—we use only the purest ingredients in our entire skin care line. Whether you’re looking for the best reef safe* sunscreen or dark circle cream to brighten your complexion, rest assured that your cosmetics are made healthy and environmentally friendly!

*Reef safe as defined by Hawaii’s legislation related to the ban of SPF sunscreen products that contain oxybenzone or octinoxate.

friendly sunscreen is formulated without oxybenzone and octinoxate, two chemical UV filters linked to coral bleaching. Colorescience uses mineral filters like zinc oxide and iron oxides instead.

Yes. All Colorescience sunscreens are reef friendly as defined by Hawaii's legislation, which bans SPF products containing oxybenzone or octinoxate.

There is no official FDA standard for either term. Both typically refer to sunscreens that exclude oxybenzone and octinoxate. Colorescience follows Hawaii's legislative definition.

Tinted Colorescience sunscreens contain iron oxides, which help block blue light (HEV) along with UVA and UVB rays.

Face Shield Matte SPF 50 and Total Protection Sheer Matte SPF 30 Sunscreen Brush are both formulated for oily, blemish-prone skin and could be a good fit.