Since all of our products are made with mineral ingredients, choosing TropicSport sunscreen is the easiest way to avoid harmful chemicals in your sunscreen. Everything we make is reef-safe, eco-friendly, and cruelty-free. However, you should also learn how to recognize the harmful ingredients on sunscreen labels. The worst of these harmful ingredients are Oxybenzone, Avobenzone, and Octinoxate.
There are currently 16 active ingredients used in sunscreens in the US, and 14 of them are under scrutiny by the FDA! The two that have proven to be safe and effective are zinc oxide and non-nano titanium dioxide, which are used in mineral sunscreens. Listed below are three of the most popular chemicals in sunscreens that should be avoided. In fact, oxybenzone and octinoxate have been banned in several states because of their negative effect on the environment and ocean wildlife.
Oxybenzone, also called benzophenone-3 or BP-3, is linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, and allergies, including photo-allergies, meaning allergic reactions caused by light exposure. Also found in cosmetic products, oxybenzone’s threat reaches far past just the world of sunscreen users.
However, one of the scariest facts about this chemical is its proven detrimental effect on the ocean, ocean animals and coral reefs.
For a visualization of just how toxic this chemical is to coral life specifically, MarineSAFE states that, “One drop of oxybenzone in the equivalent of six-and-a-half Olympic-size swimming pools’ worth of water is sufficient to damage coral.” Causing so much damage to aquatic life, oxybenzone and other chemical sunscreens are now banned in Hawaii and Key West, FLA.
Once it is exposed to the sun or chlorine in pools, avobenzone begins to break down, resulting in only about 30 minutes of protection from UVA rays. Since UVA rays affect the skin on such a deep level, you may not even be aware of the damage for many years. It also doesn’t help that in order to make the avobenzone work longer, more chemicals must be used, which really just exacerbates the problem.
One of the scariest facts about avobenzone is it’s reaction in chlorine. When avobenzone reacts with chlorine it breaks down into toxic chemicals, which can result in kidney and liver dysfunction as well as nervous system disorders.
In addition to breaking down quickly and sometimes toxically, avobenzone also causes hormone disruption, accelerates the aging process, and causes illnesses - including cancer.
This is an ingredient that blocks UVB rays, but not UVA rays. It is popular because it dissolves easily in oil, but is harmful because of its link to endocrine disruption and reproductive toxicity. Octinoxate is also banned in Hawaii and Key West for its proven destructive effect on marine life.
Investing in a safe, active chemical-free, mineral sunscreen like TropicSport is an effortless way to make a huge impact on not only your health, but the world in which we live. We all want to make a change, and we all want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. Join our mission to eliminate these easily avoidable chemicals, and help us help you and our environment!
SHOP TROPICSPORT SUNSCREEN When reading labels to check for harmful ingredients, it is also helpful to know some positive phrases to look for. If the sunscreen meets the standards below, and does not contain the above ingredients, you have probably found a good one.
