When shopping for sunscreen, you may not have given much thought to the ecological impact of the product you’re buying, as it’s not immediately evident that there’s a link between the two. Most likely, you simply decided on the best sunscreen for your needs based on factors like SPF levels and how attractive the bottle was that it came in.
In truth, there’s emerging evidence that what sunscreen you put on your body can cause damage to the world around you. New research points to some chemical sunscreen ingredients potentially contributing to the bleaching of coral reefs and consequently their deaths leaving our ocean floor barren and colorless.
The Best Sunscreens Don’t Contain Octinoxate & Oxybenzone
Chemical sunscreens are the most common type of sunscreen on the market. They protect you by using chemicals that absorb into the deeper layers of your skin, in turn allowing UV rays to be absorbed into your skin and converted into heat.
Oxybenzone and Octinoxate are two of the most common active ingredients in big chemical sunscreen brands. They can be found listed on the backs of sunscreens found on the shelves of every major drug and retail store. They’re also believed to be two of the biggest offenders in the bleaching of our coral reefs.
What is Coral Bleaching?
While the process of coral bleaching doesn’t necessarily spell the end of coral, it’s certainly not good for it either. Sunscreen washes off of your body when you enter the ocean, and when there’s a lot of people wearing sunscreen and entering the ocean, that adds up. Studies show that when Oxybenzone and Octinoxate enter the water they may disrupt the symbiotic relationship between coral and microscopic algae called zooxanthellae. These algae serve as the main food source for the coral and is responsible for maintaining its vivid coloring.
When conditions are no longer suitable, the algae leaves the coral, taking with it all that beautiful color and the sustenance that it provides. This doesn’t always lead to the coral dying, but it does leave it very pale and vulnerable to disease. A compelling reason for using sunscreen without these chemicals we think you’ll agree!
So What’s in Mineral Sunscreens?
It’s almost difficult to put chemical sunscreens and mineral sunscreens into the same category, as there are so many differences between the two. For instance, rather than using chemicals that absorb into your skin to combat UV rays, mineral sunscreens use the minerals Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide that act as a reflector and an effective barrier between your skin and the sun.
Mineral sunscreens also do their work on the surface of the skin, rather than having to be absorbed into the skin to be effective. This results in the added benefit of being able to easily spot when it needs to be reapplied – a particular bonus when talking about the best sunscreen for kids.
When mineral sunscreens are applied, you’ll see an initial whiteness, which is then replaced by a visible sheen when rubbed onto the skin. The moment this sheen disappears, you know it’s time to reapply. Most mineral sunscreens are also water resistant for anywhere from 40 to 80 minutes. Check the directions on your sunscreen bottle for how often you should reapply while swimming or sweating. All this and they contain no Oxybenzone and no Octinoxate.
The Considered Choice for Environmentally-Conscious People
At Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen, our mineral-based sunscreen range was born in one of the most brutal parts of the world. The UV rays in Australia are amongst the most powerful on the planet and it was this climate that provided the proving ground for our dermatologist and pediatrician-recommended sunscreens.
Throughout the development of our incredibly popular range of mineral-based We Love the Reef sunscreens that contain no Oxybenzone and no Octinoxate, we have remained passionate about skin safety. Our products were initially only available through dermatologists but are now available to the general public.
The great thing about our Zinc Oxide mineral and mineral-based sunscreens is that they’re not just safer for you, but also safer for the environment. Our mineral and mineral-based sunscreens are great for the skin, as well as being kind to the planet and we absolutely stand behind the protection they provide to you and your family.
So, if you’d like to know more about mineral and mineral-based sunscreen or you want to see what it is that makes Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen so popular with our customers, head over to our website www.bluelizardsunscreen.com where you’ll find all the information you could possibly need.
However, if you can’t quite decide between our sunscreen for face, sensitive skin sunscreen or even our sunscreen sticks, our friendly team of sunscreen experts is on hand to offer the advice you need. You can get in touch with them by calling us on 800.877.8869.
Thanks for reading. Check back with us soon for more from the home of high-quality, no Oxybenzone and no Octinoxate mineral sunscreen.