What are reef safe sunscreens?

It probably won’t come as a surprise that globally, there are some major concerns about the health of our natural reef systems. In fact, Australia’s own Great Barrier Reef is considered to be highly vulnerable, not only having lost half of its coral cover over the last three decades, but also suffering from extensive coral bleaching.

There are many factors believed to be contributing to the degradation of reef systems including rising water temperatures, poorer water quality from sediment run-off and land-based pollution, unsustainable fishing and outbreaks of invasive starfish species. However, research has also identified sunscreen as another potential culprit that could be threatening the health of our reef systems. 

In response, many sunscreen brands have launched sunscreen products labelled as “reef-safe”—but what are reef-safe sunscreens, and if you own a sunscreen brand, how can you know if you can make this claim on your sunscreen products?

Let’s take a look at what you need to know about reef-safe sunscreen products.

What’s the connection between sunscreen and reef health?

Sunscreens often contain chemicals or active ingredients that work to provide valuable protection from ultraviolet (UV) radiation, however, some of these chemicals are considered to be harmful for coral and other marine life.

While research is ongoing, it’s believed that when we apply sunscreen, the chemicals contained in the sunscreen can enter our waterways when we go for a swim or take a shower. If these chemicals are allowed to accumulate in coral tissues, it could induce coral bleaching, cause damage to coral DNA or cause the coral to become deformed or even die.

What exactly are “reef-safe” sunscreens?

In response to the issue, many sunscreen brands launched products that claim to be reef-safe by excluding certain chemicals from their product formulations.

When sunscreen is marked as reef-safe, this generally means the product is free of active ingredients which are known to be toxic to coral reefs. However, while some brands choose to include this claim with their products, currently, there is limited definitive evidence on what constitutes a reef-safe product.

While some governments have taken specific action to prohibit the sale of sunscreens containing potentially harmful chemicals (e.g. in 2018, the United States state of Hawaii banned the sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone or octinoxate), there is no association or authority that is directly responsible for governing this claim in a standardised manner.

Advertising your sunscreen products as “reef-safe”

Consumer laws mean it is paramount that any claims you make on your sunscreen packaging or advertising can be substantiated.

For sunscreen products sold in Australia, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) requires that secondary claims for sunscreens (such as the reef-safe claim is) be supported by valid evidence. It’s also a similar situation for sunscreen products sold in Europe. 

While there is some evidence demonstrating that certain active ingredients included in some sunscreen products can be harmful to coral reefs, excluding these from your product formulations doesn’t confirm that your products are 100% safe for coral reefs.

Without a clear definition or definitive direction on what evidence is required to demonstrate that a product is reef-safe, we generally recommend clients avoid using the term. If it’s paramount that you include a claim relating to reef compatibility, we would suggest using the term “reef-friendly” or “reef-conscious” instead. 

Leaders in Australian sunscreen manufacturing

Looking for an Australian-based sunscreen manufacturer? 

With more than 30 years of experience manufacturing sunscreen, skincare and cosmetic products for the Australian market, the team at Wild Child is the manufacturing partner that can produce premium products at speed, so you can get your products to market sooner.