Under the sea

Public consciousness has recently been shifting to a greater awareness, not only of the scale of marine pollution, particularly concerning plastic, but also to the plethora of challenges the world faces in terms of ocean health and the impact global warming, over fishing and pollution are having on the ocean’s ecosystem. June 8 was World Oceans Day and, as well as a recent ban on plastic straws and cotton buds, sunscreen is the latest everyday item to come under the scrutiny of environmentalists for its damaging effects on the planet.

Some traditional sunscreen filters have been detected in coastal waters either directly as a consequence of washing off swimmers or indirectly from wastewater treatment plant effluents. And new research now attributes a substantial amount of coral reef damage, including bleaching, to these chemicals, sparking quick responses to try to stop the harm before it’s too late.1

Ingredients including oxybenzone and octinoxate have long been used in sunscreen formulas to filter the sun’s rays away from the skin, keeping it protected, however, these have been found to be the most damaging filters to the coral reefs.1 In fact, in May 2018 the Hawaiian government passed a bill banning the sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate in the state, after a study found it severely damaged its marine environment. Florida’s Key West followed suit in February this year. The ban will come into force in January 2021. Coral reefs may be the most diverse ecosystem on the planet, and through the habitat they give to fish and other marine life, indirectly provide food for millions of humans.

While scientists agree that more thorough research needs to be conducted to determine the relationship between sunscreen and reef damage, environmentally aware consumers are starting to turn their backs on traditional suncare products in favour of reef-safe alternatives, at least when intending to apply them beachside.

Environmentally-focused brands such as AlumierMD, Medik8 and ZeNNi have been the frontrunners in developing chemical free, green and ocean-friendly products in the aesthetics arena offering reef-safe formulas for your environmentally conscious clients.

ZENII

Dr Johanna Ward’s ZENii SPF was formulated to be reef safe and free from nanoparticles so that it can’t penetrate into the blood/circulation and cause low grade inflammation. The organic antioxidant SPF 50 is ideal for daily use and is packed with beneficial ingredients like aloe vera and vitamin B5. It uses organic filters and has a light tint that means it goes on the skin seamlessly with no obvious white residue and sits beautifully and elegantly under make-up. Suitable for normal to dry skin, it is especially good for skin in need of extra hydration or for sensitive skin that needs to be protected from UV radiation.

MEDIK8

Medik8 has had green philosophies at its core since its inception. The UK-manufactured brand had always been packaging and carbon footprint conscious and actively promotes ocean safe products too.

To protect the coral reefs and general aquatic health, the brand actively avoids the sunscreen filters which are associated with damage to the coral reefs and instead chooses to use reef-safe sunscreen filters.

The brand only ever uses non-nano physical sunscreen filters. Nano-sized zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are defined as smaller in diameter than 100nm and are often used in sunscreens because they are easier to formulate with. However, nanoparticles have been linked with safety concerns, and nano-sized zinc oxide has even been linked with disruption to coral reefs.2 Its Physical Sunscreen uses mineral filters titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.

In its chemical sunscreens, the brand only uses a select few next-generation filters which they claim are much safer than traditionally used chemical filters such as Uvinul A Plus, Tinosorb S and Uvinul T150. They are all exceptionally stable in the sun, safe for the skin and offer high level protection from UV rays. None of these chemical sunscreen filters have been linked to damage to the coral reefs. AM

ALUMIERMD

AlumierMD was founded with clean chemistry at its heart. The brand does not use chemical filters due to concerns about toxic-loading and these chemicals penetrating through the skin into the bloodstream. AlumierMD uses physical sunscreens (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide), which sit on the skin surface and largely reflect and scatter UVA I, UVA II and UVB rays but are not absorbed by the body. Toxins being absorbed by our bodies can disrupt our hormonal balance and have a long-term negative impact on our health. They can also have a negative impact on ocean health. Removing these toxic ingredients not only makes products safer for clients but for the coral reefs too. Alumier Labs UK Limited has also been offsetting its carbon footprint. The company has purchased 120 tonnes of carbon offsets in its bid to be carbon neutral by 2020.

REFERENCES

1C. A. Downs et al, Toxicopathological Effects of the Sunscreen UV Filter, Oxybenzone (Benzophenone-3), on Coral Planulae and Cultured Primary Cells and Its Environmental Contamination in Hawaii and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 2016, 70(2), pp 265-288

2.Corinaldesi et al, Impact of inorganic UV filters contained in sunscreen products on tropical stony corals (Acropora spp.)., Sci Total Environ, 2018, 637-638, pp 1279-1285