Best Reef-Safe Sunscreens for 2024 [CNET]

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Lindsay Boyers CNET Contributor

Lindsay Boyers is a certified nutritionist and published book author who writes articles and product reviews for CNET’s health and wellness section. Her work also appears on mindbodygreen, Healthline, Verywell Health and The Spruce. When she’s not actively searching for the best products at the best prices, she’s most likely creating new recipes, reading in her hammock or trying to force her cats to love her.

“Reef-safe sunscreen keeps ocean life happy and does not contain harmful chemicals known to harm coral reefs,” says Chimento. She explains that most reef-safe sunscreens rely on physical UV-blocking ingredients like titanium dioxide and oxide that provide a barrier between your skin and the sun, deflecting the sun’s rays before they hit the skin. There are chemical sunscreens that are free of the major chemicals known to cause harm to coral reefs. This is where diligently checking labels becomes even more important.

Chimento points out that all types of approved sunscreens will protect your skin and are effective at blocking UV rays. While more research is needed to determine the health implications of certain chemicals in sunscreen, reef-safe sunscreen may be a safer alternative for people who are worried about long-term exposure to chemical ingredients.

Unfortunately, one major issue is that the terms “reef-safe” and “reef-friendly” aren’t regulated by any governing authorities, so you can’t always take a brand’s word for it. According to Save the Reef, a charity organization founded by Karmagawa, it’s good practice to check the ingredient list and avoid any sunscreens that include any of the following ingredients:

• Oxybenzone
• Octinoxate
• Octocrylene
• Homosalate
• 4-methylbenzylidene camphor
• PABA
• Parabens
• Triclosan
• Any form of microplastic, such as “exfoliating beads”

Particle size also matters. Nanoparticles and nano-sized zinc or titanium can build up and become toxic to coral reefs — and potentially, humans — in high concentrations. As a general rule, if a particular sunscreen doesn’t specify that it’s non-nano, you can assume that it’s better to avoid it.