The survival of coral reefs is vital for our ecosystem, and the chemicals in our sunscreen can harm them.
This week, we talk about why sunscreen is so important, what problems it entails, and how to make more responsible choices for ourselves and for our planet.
Why is using sunscreen so important?
Melanoma cases in the US have tripled since the 70's. The reasons for this trend are unclear, and so are the prevention strategies.
Although we're still not sure what exactly causes melanoma, scientists around the globe tend to agree that the main risk factor is the exposure to UV rays, both through the sun and through artificial tanning methods, such as showers or sun beds.
Melanoma generally hits the areas of the body that are more exposed to sunlight, like the face. However, it can also originate in parts of the body that are never exposed, which means that UV rays are not the only risk factor, and that there are other variables that come into play, like family history, freckles, moles, and so on. Unfortunately, for these last aspects we're just going to have to have faith and hope for the best. The risk factors that we can actually do something about are: artificial tanning, natural exposure to UV rays, and sunburns.
As prevention methods, we should have a periodic inspection of moles and maintain a responsible attitude towards sun exposure, mainly by:
using sunscreen with an appropriate filter;
wearing hats and sunglasses during sun exposure;
paying special attention near snow, water or sand, which reflect the sun's rays;
minimising sun exposure during the central hours of the day, from 10 am to 4 pm.
Sunscreens' health concerns:
Although sunscreen can protect us from UV rays, scientists are not sure that it can per se prevent melanoma. Many studies have concluded that applying sunscreen can greatly reduce the risk of getting melanoma, but others have not reached such drastic conclusions. Consequently, relying exclusively on sunscreen risks discouraging us consumers to take other precautions and illuding us that we're being careful enough. For example, some research has concluded that the creation of free radicals can decrease dramatically if the same sunscreen is applied leaving a thicker layer, compared to when it is applied more traditionally.
Sunscreen's environmental concerns:
Aside from health concerns, sunscreen is especially problematic from an environmental point of view. The chemicals contained in sunscreen can in fact greatly damage coral reefs.
Coral reefs around the world are threatened by pollution, and the most popular destinations (such as the Australian Great Barrier Reef and the bays of Hawaii, the Virgin Islands and Israel) are those with the most endangered coral reefs.
It's important to acknowledge that the survival of coral reefs is vital for the survival of our ecosystem as a whole.
When we swim with sunscreen on, chemicals such as oxybenzone can penetrate the water, where they're absorbed by corals. These substances contain nanoparticles that can disrupt coral reproduction and growth cycles, eventually leading to bleaching. Oxybenzone can also damage sea urchins, fish and mammals.
However, even if we don't get in the water right after applying sunscreen, chemical substances can fall into the drains when we shower.
To aggravate the matter, the aerosol versions of sunscreen typically lead to large quantities of product ending up on the sand, and then entering the oceans.
Of course, the factors that can affect marine life aside from sun protection are numerous (have you heard about climate change?), but scientists are quite convinced that oxybenzone and more in general the pollution caused by sun protection represents an important threat to coral reefs.
An estimated 14,000 tons of sunscreen enter the oceans every year, 82,000 chemicals from personal care products contaminate the seas, and about 80% of corals in the Caribbean have been lost in the past 50 years due to pollution, coastal development and water heating.
The rapid decline of the reefs has become an urgent, global problem, evident everywhere.
Fortunately, some destinations have already started to ban the use of environmentally harmful sunscreens. In 2018, Hawaii banned the sale of sunscreen containing oxybenzone and octinoxate (the ban will be effective in 2021) and, a few months later, Palau also announced that it would ban the sale or use of sunscreen containing chemicals that can be harmful to coral reefs.
Tips to be more responsible towards ourselves and our coral reefs:
Check the sunscreens' ingredients, avoiding the ones that contain oxybenzone (the most common compound found in around 3,500 sunscreens worldwide), octinoxate (which is even more toxic than oxybenzone, but is usually found in lower concentrations) and octocrylene. We should prefer mineral based sunscreens that use zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, which are particles that cannot be absorbed by corals.
To choose which sunscreen to buy, those of you who are lazy (like me), and don't feel like researching all the ingredients, can use the Healthy Living app of the Environmental Working Group, which rates products according to their environmental and health impact (you can either research products that you regularly use to check if they are okay, or see which products are recommended).
Avoid sprays, which make it impossible to clearly see where you already put the sunscreen and largely end up in the sand and then in the ocean (when it rains, it's also possible for the chemicals that have ended up on the surface of the sand to penetrate deeper, where sea turtles lay their eggs).
Bear the fact that eco-friendly sunscreen can leave your skin a little white, which can also help you pinpoint where you have already put it and understand when it's time to put on some more. Generally speaking, eco-friendly sunscreen is often harder to spread than the one we're used to, but we can get used to that. I'm now using the one by Lavera and I'm liking it so far (though it does leave your skin a little white).
Use hats, shirts, and other clothes to protect yourself from the sun.
Stay in the shade during the most dangerous hours of the day.
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