#REEF SAFE SUNSCREEN ULTA SKIN#
#REEF SAFE SUNSCREEN ULTA FREE#

The reef’s colorful corals serve as a submerged garden for a marine ecosystem that draws visitors to the area from all over the world. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the planet’s most spectacular underwater treasures. Virgin Islands, and Israel are especially vulnerable. Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and the bays of Hawaii, the U.S. Some beach tents come with cool perks, such as awnings and mini pools.Ĭoral reefs all over the world are threatened by pollution, and many of the most popular destinations have the most at-risk coral.

Take cover: Pick shady spots for games and bring an umbrella, or better yet, a beach tent to create your own shade.

Put the SPF in your outfit: Wearing hats, shirts, and other apparel incorporating UV protection can reduce the amount of sunscreen you need by up to 90 percent, and these items will likely last longer than a bottle of sunscreen.

#REEF SAFE SUNSCREEN ULTA FREE#

For example, Aqua-Aston properties throughout Hawaii offer free reef-friendly sunscreen in “eco kits” and via dispensers in the hotels’ public areas. Research the resort: Some hotels are now helping guests be more responsible.

Skip the spray: Aerosols cause much of our sunscreen to miss its mark and fall to the sand, where it can easily wash into the ocean.

Check the list: Haereticus Environmental Lab publishes a list each year of what sunscreens are safe for the environment, and the Environmental Working Group rates products with SPF values-including some 650 sunscreens and 250 moisturizers-on their environmental impact.

If you’re not sure whether a sunscreen has nanoparticles, consult the Consumer Products Inventory. Choose mineral-based sunblocks that use zinc oxide or titanium dioxide-“non-nano” size particles that can’t be ingested by corals.

See what’s inside: “We recommend the use of reef-safe sunscreen free of oxybenzone,” says Peter Gash, managing director of Lady Elliot Island, near the Great Barrier Reef.

Use these tips on sunscreen and other ways to help you protect yourself and the corals.

#REEF SAFE SUNSCREEN ULTA SKIN#

Smart steps for reef reliefĮven with government bans, certain types of sunscreen can be used to guard against burns and skin cancer. Palau is a pristine archipelago known for having one of the largest marine reserves on the planet. On November 1, 2018, the small island nation of Palau announced it too would ban selling or using sunscreens that contain chemicals harmful to coral reefs. ( Read about a bright idea that could save the biggest reef on Earth.) Hawaii was the first state to pass such a measure, which went into effect as a law on January 1, 2021. On May 1, 2018, lawmakers in Hawaii passed a bill banning the sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate, another harmful chemical. Humans might be responsible for this contamination, but we’re also capable of helping heal these fragile underwater ecosystems. Aerosol versions of sunscreen can spray large amounts of the product onto the sand, where it gets washed into our oceans. These substances contain nanoparticles that can disrupt coral’s reproduction and growth cycles, ultimately leading to bleaching.Įven if you don’t swim after applying sunscreen, it can go down drains when you shower. When you swim with sunscreen on, chemicals like oxybenzone can seep into the water, where they’re absorbed by corals.

Photograph by David Doubilet, Nat Geo Image Collection The sunscreen problem Climate change poses a multitude of threats to this international treasure. A diver swims above a garden of stony corals on the Great Barrier Reef, which is more than 1,250 miles long.

Reef safe sunscreen ulta