Definitive List of Banned Sunscreen Ingredients?

[BaiAilian2013]

Does anyone have a list, preferably provided by one of the destinations that require biodegradable sunscreens, of sunscreen ingredients that are banned? I have looked around the websites of places like Xel-Ha and Xcaret and just can't find anything.

 

The reason I ask is that some sunscreens are labeled as biodegradable, but in the active ingredients they have things that look suspicious. For example, Aubrey's Organics claims to be biodegradable, but it contains padimate O, a PABA ester, which I have read is oily and doesn't dissolve in water. So even if that somehow still counts as biodegradable (I don't know what the criteria are), would marine parks really want oily sunscreen in their water?

 

I have already bought Mexitan for my upcoming trip to Cozumel, but I am genuinely curious about what is and is not okay.

[SingingPixie]

I was told that it should be PABA-free by the folks at Playa Uvas.

[dustyroad]

I was told that it should be PABA-free by the folks at Playa Uvas.

 

hi there. i will taking my first cruise ''too the sun'' in a few weeks. does the sunscreen we use have to be biodegradable?? i have already bought some but it is not that ??? i would really like to know.

[gottago2mexico]

Does anyone have a list, preferably provided by one of the destinations that require biodegradable sunscreens, of sunscreen ingredients that are banned?

 

PABA

Octocrylene

4-methylbenzylidene

Butylparaben

Benzophenone

Butyl-Methoxydi-benzoylmethane

Hexyldecanol

Dimethyl Capramide

Cetyl Dimethicone

Methylparaben

Polyethylene

Propylparaben

Butylcarbamate

 

Not banned from Xcaret, but shown in recent studies to cause irrepairable harm to coral reefs so likely will be soon:

 

Octinoxate

Oxybenzone

 

Hope this helps, have a great time!