Do you use conventional or organic sunscreen when you’re out in the sun?
To protect oneself from the sun is important, but it is equally important to preserve nature and not to use harmful substances. If you still feel unsure about why you should use organic sunscreen or what to look for – Keep reading.
This is extremely important and something that is necessary to save our precious coral reefs and nature. It is time for everyone to take their responsibility and abandon harmful products.
Why “Normal” sunscreen is bad
Using sunscreen is something necessary to protects ourselves from the sun’s harmful UV-radiation, but most people do not think much about what cream they use. The truth is, unfortunately, the most common sunscreens contain toxic substances. When you bathe with sunscreen on your body, these substances are being transferred into the sea.
This, in turn, leads to marine life and damage to the coral reefs. The oils from sunscreen and other sun protection settle as a layer. The ecosystem is being disrupted, and if we continue to use regular sunscreens with harmful substances, our coral reefs will die, and we humans will have a harder time to breathe when the Ocean’s plants die too.
Many of the world’s coral reefs have an endangered status, and a lot of them are dying already. Next time you are traveling abroad or staying out in the sun – Make sure that that your sunscreen doesn’t contain any of the following ingredients.
Harmful substances to look out for in sunscreens
- Oxybenzone
- Retinyl Palmitate
- Parabens
- Octocrylene
- 4-methylbenzylidene camphor
- Octinoxate
Not only harmful to nature
Think about it, if something is harmful to nature, it is also harmful to you. We are part of nature, and if you do not care about the environment, you might at least care about your own health. These pollutants affect your hormones and cells badly.
Why use an eco-friendly sunscreen?
It is important to use an organic sunscreen to preserve nature and keep our oceans clean of harmful substances. Animals have it hard enough as it is with other emissions and reduced areas for living.
Besides that, it’s better for your health. Also, only organic sunscreen is biodegradable.
What you can do
One person can not do everything, but together it’s possible to change and make organic sunscreens the norm. This will make the prices cheaper and more people can afford to buy them. Start on your next trip abroad. You can order organic sunscreens online or buy at the pharmacy.
Also remember not to jump into the water immediately after application. It takes between 10-30 minutes for the body to absorb the sun protection factor, and if you bathe before that, much of the protection will disappear.
You can also do this
Inform your friends and family about how bad it is to use sunscreens with harmful substances. You can also share this article so that other people get the chance to learn more about why and what ingredients you should look out for.
Where to buy eco-friendly sunscreens
Environmentally friendly sunblock and sunscreen are available at most pharmacies and health shops. However, it is important to check the contents and double-check so that there are no harmful substances.
Vaseline, for example, break down slowly and therefore have lots of time to harm wildlife and coral reefs.
Johnson Wells
Tuesday 3rd of July 2018
Thanks for the informative article - as many of us in the southern hemisphere already figured out good old rash guard is the best protection for ourselves and our oceans!