As proponents of skin health, we’ll never get tired of repeating this mantra: Never leave home without sunscreen. Adequate sun protection is an essential part of life, but it comes with an unfortunate catch: Some sunscreens you find on beauty aisles are loaded with toxic chemicals that may be harmful not only to our bodies but also to the environment.
And if Hawaii’s recent ban on certain chemical sunscreens tells us one thing, it’s that the threat they pose to marine life is even more serious than we thought. The good news? Natural sunscreens are generally deemed just as effective as their chemical counterparts—sans the health and environmental risks associated with harsh synthetic ingredients.
How Certain Ingredients Harm the Environment
While sunscreens do a good job of protecting your skin from the effects of UV rays, they are also causing damage somewhere else. Most commercially available sunscreen products contain oxybenzone or benzophenone-3 and octinoxate, which are chemical filters that absorb UVA and UVB rays. Oxybenzone, in particular, is a readily soluble photostabilizer that is widely used not only in sunscreens but also in cosmetic products like nail polishes, hairsprays and fragrances (products that often come in clear glass bottles and get exposed to sunlight). Read more
