Reef Safe
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Diving BMorin COMMENTS 29 Jun, 2019
As summer gets underway, it is important to share the reminder that “oxybenzone free” does not equal “reef safe”. This is important for your safety, and for the safety of coral reefs and other marine ecosystems you will encounter throughout the summer.
That’s why we only carry true “reef safe” sunscreen from Stream2Sea.
We don’t like plastic either! That is why our tubes are made from sugarcane resins, our 32 oz bottles are made from recycled milk jugs, and our baggies are made with biodegradable and recyclable PLA film.
The Truth about Coral Reef Safe
Fact: There are NO official, approved tests or certification for reef-safe or ocean-safe products. The term coral reef safe implies that it is safe for the entire reef, but how does one know this? You would have to test on things that are not currently testable, or at this point are cost prohibitive to test. We would not put a product on the market that doesn’t pass the most intense testing we can manage, while also meeting our standards for human safety as well.
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Testing on Fish and Coral
We tested our safe sunscreen products to ensure they will not be harmful to fish and other aquatic life when used as directed. We are adamantly opposed to animal testing when there are other alternatives. At this time, there are no cellular cultures or models that effectively assess aquatic toxicity to the extent that we feel is necessary. Therefore, our testing included the use of purposely bred live fish and EcoConsciously and scientifically obtained coral larvae.
How to Apply Mineral Based Sunscreen
Check out our selection of Stream2Sea Products including Sunscreen, Sun & Sting Gel, Leave-in Conditioner, Lotion & Lip Balm right on our website or stop in.
Why don’t you offer an SPF 40 or 50+?
Sunscreens with very high SPFs offer only marginally better UVB protection (the rays that cause sunburn) than lower SPFs, yet consumers often believe they are getting double the protection. It would be logical to think that an SPF 30 would be twice as good as a 15, but that’s not how the ratings work. For example, an SPF 15 will block about 93% of the UVB rays, an SPF 30 will block about 97% and an SPF 50 will block about 98%. Moving beyond, the differences in protection are so minute yet give the users such a false sense of security that it may tempt people to stay in the sun longer than they should, while applying too little sunscreen. Your skin may be protected from sunburn, but could leave yourself exposed to the UVA rays that cause other kinds of skin and cellular damage. Our preference is to offer sunscreens that will feel good on your skin and encourage you to reapply every 80 minutes or after a good swim. The FDA has also called for a ban on sunscreens stating an SPF greater than 50, calling them misleading, but this has not yet been enforced. We hope to see this as a future regulation.