12/11/2023 0 Comments Hawaii reef safe sunscreen![]() ![]() Did you know dermatologists recommend wearing sunscreen every day that you're out in the sun? That's especially important when the sun is blazing and temperatures are rising.Ĭovering up with a great sunscreen, like the ones featured below, can help protect your skin from the elements. Things are really getting hot out there during this summer 2023 heatwave across the United States. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. 1, 2023.CBS Essentials is created independently of the CBS News editorial staff. 132 SD2) would ban the sale of sunscreens containing octocrylene and avobenzone starting on Jan. If enacted into law, the Senate bill (S.B. Sunscreens containing the minerals zinc oxide or titanium dioxide do not wash off as easily in water as petrochemical ones, so they may provide better protection while not harming reefs. Although reef-toxic petrochemical sunscreens are not the only threat to Hawai‘i’s marine environment, they are one serious local threat that everyone can help eliminate right now.”Įxperts say the best protection from midday sun is staying in the shade or wearing hats and covering clothing. It is therefore critical to eliminate as many existential threats to our marine ecosystems as possible, like these additional reef-toxic chemicals, to ensure the reef can both survive and thrive for future generations. Hawaiian coral reefs also drive tourism, one of Hawai‘i’s primary economic engines. “Eminent scientists from the U.S., Canada, France, Israel, Iran and China joined over 100 Hawai‘i residents, organizations and businesses supporting the bill. “Evolving science shows that these persistent reef toxins disrupt the life-cycles of corals and other marine life,” said Lisa Bishop, president of Friends of Hanauma Bay. They provide critical habitat for near-shore marine life and natural protection against coastal erosion and sea-level rise. Approximately one-fourth of the plants, fish and invertebrates found in Hawaiian coral reefs are endemic to Hawai‘i.Ĭoral reefs are intrinsic to Hawaiian culture and fundamental to the fabric of local communities. “Because octocrylene bioaccumulates, what does that mean for people eating these fish, especially pregnant women and keiki? Avobenzone may cause a dysfunction with the powerhouse of the cell, which may kill cells and induce a bleaching effect in corals.”Ĭoral reefs are critical ecosystems for Hawai‘i, protecting its shorelines, entertaining thousands of snorkelers and divers each year, and providing a safe environment for many fish and other aquatic species. “Studies show fish exposed to octocrylene exhibited endocrine disruption, brain deformities in larvae and reproductive toxicity,” said ecotoxicologist Craig Downs. A soon-to-be published study shows that octocrylene degrades into benzophenone, a powerful carcinogen, reproductive disruptor and herbicide.Īvobenzone is also an endocrine disruptor and can reduce coral resilience against the high ocean temperatures that are killing corals worldwide through global warming. Research demonstrates that octocrylene can disrupt human hormones and have toxic impacts on a variety of aquatic organisms, including corals, fish and marine mammals. Food and Drug Administration for a national ban on coral-killing chemicals in sunscreens. “People can protect their skin without harmful petrochemicals while Hawai‘i protects public and environmental health.” “This is great news for our imperiled coral reefs and marine life,” said Maxx Phillips, Hawai‘i director and staff attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. Studies show that all four of these petrochemical sunscreens are toxic to human health, coral reefs and marine species. This bill follows a 2018 law banning oxybenzone and octinoxate sunscreens. HONOLULU- Sunscreens containing two harmful petrochemicals, avobenzone and octocrylene, would be banned from sale in Hawai‘i under a bill passed today by the Hawai‘i Senate. ![]()
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