Most people are aware how cosmetics, cleaning products, soaps and medicines end up in waterways, however some never think of the impact that sunscreenpollution has on the environment.
Sunscreen does end up in the water, whether we wash it off and it travels through sanitation systems, or when we get into the water and it washes off right around us. The slick that can be seen around people swimming in the ocean can be worse than when it is washed down the drain, as this is immediately attaching itself to plankton, being ingested by sea creatures, and resting in the reefs. The ingredient oxybenzone, a UV filtering chemical, is fatal to baby coral and damaging for mature reefs. The science is not conclusive as to the effect that oxybenzome has on our skin, concerns have been raised about what can happen when it penetrates skin.
Many resorts and water parks in the Caribbean have banned sunscreens that are not Ocean Friendly or Reef Safe.
In addition to some resorts, the state of Hawaii plans to ban suncreens containing oxybenzone by 2018.
To help prevent these chemicals ending up in the water it is important to switch to a biodegradable sunscreen and all skincare and cosmetics. Although these products may seem more expensive than traditional brands, the more money that can be made with the biodegradable name, the more likely it is that corporations and producers will shift to making these products. the more of these products available, the cheaper they become. People are protected from the sun, the oceans have less chemicals in them, and big corporations will become more eco-aware.