Like me, are you heading south for a sunshine and ocean holiday vacation? Did you know that MOST sunscreens are killing the coral reefs and hurting the fishes? I just learned this, so I wanted to quickly share what you can do to help protect our sea-life.

Make a difference by choosing products that are NOT TOXIC. Below is a link to an article I found most useful in explaining the problem and how to choose ocean-safe products. In this post I have summarize the key points from this article and will show you two of the products I happened to have that appear to be ocean safe.

DON’Ts:

-Don’t use sunscreen with Active Ingredients: Oxybenzone and/or Octinoxate. They kill coral.

–Don’t use sunscreens with Methyl Paraben, Butyl Paraben, or Phenoxyethanol. These are preservatives that are also toxic.

-If you must use these, they don’t recommend using SPF ratings over 30. They are not anymore effective in protecting your skin and contain higher concentrations of the toxic chemicals.

–Don’t use aerosol sunscreens. The chemical ingredients are microscopic and [are] inhaled into the lungs, and dispersed airborne into the environment

DO:

-Do use sunscreen with Non-Nano Zinc Oxide

-Do use sunscreen with Non-nano Titanium Dioxide. See pictures. I bought these sunscreens at Walgreens, here in Highland Park,

–The best thing to do is wear UV protective shirts or “Rash Guards.”  A rash guard, also known as rash vest or rashie, is an athletic fitted, spandex top, bottom or one-piece that protects beachgoers from the sun and other elements. Surfers typically wear them while they are riding the waves or hanging out on the shore. These shirts/leggings have UV protection ratings.

Remember, you will still need sunscreen protection on your face, neck, feet and hands… so be sure to wear the non-toxic products!

Here is the article link: https://www.travelandleisure.com/style/beauty/reef-safe-sunscreen