Legal Sunscreen

Since the law has changed, the types of have changed. They have banned anything with oxybenzone and octinoxate to protect the native coral.

It's a slow search to go through the ingredient lists for the different brands.

So my question is - Has anyone found an extensive list of legal sunscreens for Hawaii? I'm trying to avoid lax articles where they list the same high-end products they've copied from another web article.

Thanks in advance!

You can do a quick search on Amazon for "reef safe sunscreen" and it will give you a jumping point. Don't take that search for a guarantee that everything listed is reef safe, but it will narrow your search and give you a smaller pool of brands to look into. I personally use Alba Botanica.

That search phrase is a quality one. However I keep finding what some would refer to as "weird hipster" brands that might not work. The article from Consumer Reports had trusted brands listed though. From that information I've found that Hawaiian Tropic has several sprays that seem to meet the legal requirements. Although they are constantly selling out, maybe that's a good thing.

Thank you so much for posting this. I am leaving for Hilo tomorrow and totally forgot about the new sun block regulation. I will leave most of mine at home and purchase some there. Thank you again, Cherie

I just read an L.A. Times article that says this sunscreen ban does not go into effect until January 1, 2021. My sunscreens contain high percentages of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide so I am going to take them with me. Sunscreens with these two ingredients have been recommended by my dermatologist as the best defense against sun damage. Cherie

Although the law has not officially gone into effect, IF visitors can make the switch sooner it will benefit the ocean. I did not want to waste the sunscreen that I already had, so I just use it when I am at the pool or not going in the ocean. For scuba diving or playing in the ocean, my reef safe Alba works great!

I just read an L.A. Times article that says this sunscreen ban does not go into effect until January 1, 2021.

Well, isn't that interesting. Thanks for the tip!

The Alba Botanica is great sunscreen & it works well as well as being reef safe

Sent from my iPhone using Forums