WEEK 25: SUNSCREEN

AVOID using regular sunscreens. SWITCH to sun-protective clothing or organic plastic-free sunscreens.

1. PROBLEM

Want to spend a nice vacation at the beach? Packed a nice sunscreen?

The next time you take a dip in the warm waters of the Caribbean or Hawaii (or any other beach we normal folks can afford :P), think about this — you aren’t just swimming in seawater. There may also be as many as 82,000 kinds of chemicals from personal care products that have made their way into the world’s oceans, according to a report by Marine Life, a marine conservation NGO. And one of the biggest and most permanent contributors to this massive pollution is sunscreen. In 2015, it was estimated that around 14,000 tons of sunscreen are ending up in the world’s coral reefs and causing irreparable damage.

“Eighty-five percent of the Caribbean coral reefs died before 1999 or 2000. That wasn’t global warming. It’s pollution,” says Dr. Craig A. Downs, Ph.D., executive director of Haereticus Environmental Laboratory.

It is also bad for us! Oxybenzone in sunscreens, for example, is toxic in four different ways: it causes damage to the DNA that may lead to cancer and developmental abnormalities, it is an endocrine disruptor, it causes deformations in juvenile corals, and, lastly, it leads to bleaching.

And it comes in a plastic bottle.

2. SOLUTION

1. SUN-PROTECTIVE CLOTHING

a. Either wear a regular long t-shirt and a huge hat

b. or invest in sun protective clothing (link here).

isn’t this sooooo cute?

Yes, this is also made out of plastic, but it can reused forever! (if you don’t lose it 💁). I’d still use suncreen for face, neck, ears, hands, but it’ll be a LOT lesser.

2. SUNCREEN

There are tons of coral-reef organic plastic free (biodegradable or recyclable)etc etc safe suncreens out there! Just gotta look for one. :D

1. Raw Elements (on amazon), $17
2. Mama Kuleana Waterproof SPF 30 Reef-safe Sunscreen, $20
3. Raw Love ❤ , $25 (expensive but very thick)
4. Manda, $28 (sooo expensive :O but everything in it is organic

When you order, immediately message the seller requesting plastic-free packaging, and take responsibility if the item is damaged. P.S it’ll be fine :D

In India, this seems legit — Biotique Sunscreen (in plastic-but natural!)

3. READ THE LABELS

If this is tooo much effort, just read the ingredients and avoid these chemicals.

3. CONCLUSION

Switching suncreens is easy and can go a long way in protecting our oceans :)

Bye ❤