Whether Your Sunscreen Is ‘Reef-Safe’ Does Matter—But There’s a Catch

The issue of reef-safe or reef-friendly sunscreens first arose in the late 90’s, when researchers began to realize that the widespread use of common sunscreen ingredients correlated with premature coral death. Several studies revealed that one particular ingredient, oxybenzone, was directly responsible for this harm (though scientists couldn’t figure out exactly why). So sunscreen companies began creating formulas without oxybenzone, opting instead for other organic compounds like avobenzone and octocrylene that are similarly capable of absorbing UV rays and protecting the wearer’s skin. Government bodies also responded by banning the use and sale of sunscreens that had the potential to cause environmental harm, which further pushed manufacturers to create “reef-safe” formulas.

But this gave rise to a major problem: no one was regulating whether these new formulas were actually safe for marine life. Out of a desire to remain relevant in more restrictive markets, manufacturers began slapping “reef-safe” or “reef-friendly” labels onto bottle after bottle, with no one checking whether they really were. This form of “greenwashing” (in which companies make their products appear environmentally friendly when they actually aren’t) has only persisted over the last couple decades as more consumers show a preference for products that won’t exacerbate an already dire environmental crisis.

A few manufacturers, like Neutrogena and Alba Botanicals, have begun using labels such as “oxybenzone free” to give consumers more accurate information on which to base their purchasing decisions. Just in time, too: researchers at Stanford University recently found that oxybenzone is harmful to reefs not because the substance itself is necessarily toxic, but because the coral converts it to a chemical that “damages biological molecules after being exposed to UV.” Coral bleaching (a separate phenomenon) apparently makes matters worse, as bleached coral is less likely to be able to withstand the damage imposed by this process.

What you’re looking for, then, is not necessarily sunscreen that claims to be reef-safe, as that label is just as easy to tack onto product packaging as “whole-grain” or “hypoallergenic.” (Yes, those marketing phrases are just as flimsy and unregulated.) If you’re planning on wading into the ocean and want to protect the creatures that live there, you’re better off seeking out sunscreen that specifically says it’s oxybenzone free—and, for good measure, doesn’t have oxybenzone on its ingredients list.