“Reef-Safe” sun protection is definitely NOT a fad and is incredibly important to the world eco system to save the coral reefs! If it’s going to kill sea life, it’s going to eventually come for you, too. Is that well-spoken? Not at all, but it’s the truth.
The purpose of our skin is to both absorb AND protect. Chemical sunscreens are absorbed by the skin and processed through our bloodstream and other systems, like the endocrine system. Endocrine disrupters are the first item on an endocrinologist’s chopping block when addressing fertility. When we jump in the ocean or sea after applying sun protection, the water and salt will begin to wash and exfoliate away the barrier of protection we’ve applied. Furthermore, our bodies undergo the process of active osmosis when we are swimming – water leaves the cells to stabilize the solute concentrations (chlorine in a pool or salt in the ocean). This further reduces your protection but also increases the likelihood of harmful impacts on aquatic life.
I fell in love with The Great Barrier Reef when I was 20, backpacking Australia alone in 2001. The colors and life below were like being in a Lisa Frank notebook. Twenty years later, many of those beloved parts of the reef are bleached or dying due to the harm we caused.
Organic mineral sunblock with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide provides a true physical block to UV light, which is too large a particle to be introduced to your bloodstream and disrupt your system. Because of its mineral composition, it is not a threat to ocean life. Better protection, fewer risks to you and the planet.
Recent Comments