
17 Aug 2022
How to know if your sunscreen is truly reef safe.
Even if a sunscreen is labeled as "reef safe" there's no guarantee that it actually won't harm the corals, fish and other marine life. This is because there is no regulation when it comes to marketing a product as reef safe. More research and tighter regulations are much needed but thankfully, the Haereticus Environmental Laboratory (HEL) is already doing some great work in this space.
Reef Safe Sunscreen Certification

HEL is a non-profit, scientific organisation on a mission to conserve wildlife and ecosystems, just like us! Products labeled with HEL’s Protect Land + Sea Certification means that the product has been laboratory‐tested using analytical‐forensic techniques to verify that the product is free of the chemicals that are known pollutants in many different environments (freshwater streams, river, beaches, and ocean systems) or harmful to wildlife such as corals, fish, birds, marine mammals, sea turtles. These chemicals aren't just bad for coral reefs; they can also be harmful to your body. One of the most common toxic ingredients in sunscreen is oxybenzone, an emerging human and environmental contaminant often used in conventional sunscreens (DiNardo & Downs, 2018).
Damaging Sunscreen Chemicals
Pollutants HEL checks for when certifying a product include:
Any form of microplastic sphere or beads.
Any nanoparticles like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.
Oxybenzone
Octinoxate
4-methylbenzylidene camphor
Octocrylene
Para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA)
Methyl Paraben
Ethyl Paraben
Propyl Paraben
Butyl Paraben
Benzyl Paraben
Triclosan
Our products do not contain any of these ingredients AND our sunscreen is also plastic-free. Packaging is often forgotten about when it comes to "reef safe" claims and certification yet most sunscreen packaging is difficult if not impossible to recycle. The impact of plastic pollution on marine life is well known.
Read more about our safe sunscreen ingredients.

Shop Smidge Suncare SPF40 Sunscreen
References
DiNardo J. C., Downs C. A., 2018. Dermatological and environmental toxicological impact of the sunscreen ingredient oxybenzone/benzophenone-3. J Cosmet Dermatol, 17(1):15-19. DOI: 10.1111/jocd.12449
Haereticus Lab. Protect Land and Sea Certification. Retrieved 17 August 2022, available from https://haereticus-lab.org/protect-land-sea-certification-3/