The ocean has fascinated me ever since I was about 3 years old when I went snorkeling for the first time. I hung on my mom’s shoulder and we swam around looking at all the colorful fish that lived in the coral that grew right offshore. I loved using the waterproof fish identification tag to learn the names of all the fish we saw. My favorite was the Sergeant Majors, a little black, white and yellow striped fish. Even though I grew up in the Midwest, I was hooked on (pun intended) the ocean and everything that lived in it from that point on.
I have always tried to do my part to protect the ocean and all the animals that call it home, but it is hard to be an advocate for the ocean when you are a child who lives in the middle of the country! I did little things like cutting up 6-pack rings whenever I saw them. I carefully studied the information from our local recycling company to make sure my family recycled everything we could. I have even used reusable grocery bags for my entire grocery buying life. So when I learned that the sunscreen I had been using for years was bad for my ocean friends I was determined to find a safe alternative.
I am not just an ocean animal nut, I love land animals too! I have been a vegetarian for 11 years and I started making the transition to a cruelty free lifestyle about 1 ½ years ago. If you are unfamiliar with “cruelty free”, it means that a product and its ingredients were not tested on animals at any point in its creation or sale. After doing a little research I realized that many of my staples, like my favorite foundation, blush, eye primer and setting spray were already cruelty free. Then, as I ran out of my non-cruelty free products, I began replacing them with cruelty free alternatives. As it turns out, my favorite sunscreen was, unfortunately, tested on animals and that just won’t do.
So now I am on a mission to find a sunscreen that is safe for the ocean and didn’t harm any furry little land guys in the process. This is the part where I get into the science of Reef Friendly and Cruelty Free, but if you are already convinced and want to see my recommendations feel free to scroll or jump down to the product reviews!
Why Reef Friendly is Important?
We are about to get a little scientific here, but stay with me, this is really important. So our friend, coral, is really important to the ocean ecosystems because it is the home of and provides food for many species of fish. Coral has a symbiotic relationship with a form of algae called zooxanthellae that lives inside the coral’s tissue. The coral provides physical protection and some necessary compounds for photosynthesis. (If you spent most of your adult life blocking out everything you learned in science class: photosynthesis is when plants take in carbon dioxide and turn it into oxygen and nutrients for the plant to survive). In return, the algae provides nutrients and waste removal for the coral.
When coral experiences a traumatic event such as pollutants like oxybenzone and octinoxate, the two main active ingredients in chemical sunscreens, or warmer than normal water temperatures, the coral will force its algae buddies out, causing the coral to appear white. This is known as “coral bleaching” and while newly “bleached” coral is still alive, it is in a very vulnerable state. Most bleached corals will die of starvation or infection. Oxybenxone can also damage coral’s DNA, making it difficult to successfully reproduce.
While sunscreen is by no means the only pollutant found in our oceans, it is becoming more and more of a problem. It is estimated that between 6,000 and 14,000 tons of sunscreen washes off beach goers and into the ocean every year. One study found that as little as 62 parts per trillion (equivalent to 1 drop of water in 6.5 Olympic-sized swimming pools) was enough to cause damage to juvenile coral. In areas with a lot of tourism, such as the Virgin Islands or Hawaii, concentrations have been recorded as high as 250-800 parts per trillion!
So what can we do? Switching to a “reef friendly” mineral sunscreen it’s a start, but you have to read the label very carefully. Just because a sunscreen says it is mineral does not mean that is it reef friendly. A few things to look out for in addition to oxybenzone and octinoxate are preservatives like parabens and phthalates a well as additives like synthetic fragrances or glitter. You also want to make sure the zinc oxide is non-nano, meaning the particles are bigger than 100 nanometers and therefore big enough to avoid being absorbed by coral or other sea creatures. Unfortunately, this means that particles from those sunscreens do not absorb very well into humans skin either, and causes the dreaded white cast mineral sunscreen is known for. Unfortunately it is mostly unavoidable, that is how physical sunscreen works. The mineral particles physically block the harmful UV rays from your skin but some sunscreens are better than others at minimizing the appearance of the white cast.
Why Cruelty Free is Important?
People it is 2019, there is no need to harm animals to make beauty products, personal hygiene products, or home cleaning products! Not only is it utterly barbaric but the results are largely inapplicable to humans since, many times, the human tissues behave differently than that of the animals the product was tested on.
Many people think that animal testing is just putting some shampoo on a bunny and making sure it’s hair doesn’t fall out, but it is actually so much worse. For example, instead of taking that shampoo and giving the bunny a nice relaxing bath, they strap the bunny down hold its eyes open and pour the shampoo in the bunny’s eyes and leave it there for a while to see what happens.
This is just one example of how these animals are unnecessarily tortured, but if this made you sad or angry or feels ANYTHING AT ALL; Congratulations! You are not a robot. Also, I have some good news for you, there are a lot of really good brands out there (at all different price points) that do not test on animals.
*I have listed below some of my favorite resources for cruelty free brands
You might be wondering how we know these products are safe for humans if they are not tested. Well that is where I have more good news! With this little thing called science, people who are way smarter than I am, have come up with ways to test the safety of chemicals, cleaners, beauty products and medications without harming or even involving a single animal. One alternative is a test that involves using human cells tissue cells grown in a lab that imitate the function and structure of human organs. These “organs-on-chips” as they are called, can more accurately show the response to a product, chemical or drug than animal testing. Another option is computer modeling that imitates human biology. These computer programs can accurately predict how a human body will react to the introduction of one or a combination of chemicals. A third, animal free option is using actual, consenting human volunteers. Imagine that?!?
So I know this is a lot of information, but the TL:DR is oxybenzone and octinoxate = bad. Non-nano zinc-oxide and cruelty free = good.
Now on to the reviews! I spent half the summer testing out almost $150 worth of reef friendly and cruelty free sunscreen so you didn’t have to. The opinions listed here are fully my own, I paid for all items mentioned and no portion of this article was sponsored by any of the brands listed.
Coola Mineral Body Sunscreen
- $36 for 5fl oz or $7.20/oz
- 50 SPF
I had heard really good things about this brand, especially their mineral sunscreen so I was really excited to try it for myself. My first impression was that it had a nice texture, it spread well and didn’t feel sticky at all. In fact it felt a little matte or “dry touch”. I also appreciate that this is a truly unscented sunscreen. Unfortunately, after a good deal of rubbing in and giving it about 15 minutes to set, my skin was still very white and once I was out in the sun and sweating, it only got worse.
Australian Gold Botanical Sunscreen Mineral Lotion
- $16.99 for 5fl oz or $3.39/oz
- 50 SPF
This was actually the first mineral sunscreen I tried, before I ever did any research. I was originally drawn to it because it didn’t feel sticky when I tried it in Ulta. I didn’t notice a lot of white cast, until I put it on my legs when they were a little dry. I rubbed it in fairly aggressively, but could not get the whitish purple cast to go away. This is the only sunscreen I tried where I would call the cast purple instead of a true white, and I am not sure what is in it that makes it that color. I did try it on my legs again when they were better moisturized and the purple/white was much less noticeable. This sunscreen was difficult to wash off in the shower, which is good if you are going to be in and out of the water and toweling off a lot, but not so good if you are trying to get really clean after a few hours at the beach. That I will leave up to personal preference.
Bare Republic Mineral Sunscreen Lotion Sport
- $10.99 5fl oz or $2.19/oz
- 50 SPF
I purchased this sunscreen after having their mineral face sunscreen recommended by a friend. I was excited by the price, especially since it is made by Coola. Unfortunately I was just as disappointed as I was with the Coola brand sunscreen. This sunscreen was very sticky and the white cast clung to body hair and skin texture like dry patches or scabs.
Raw Elements Face and Body
- $17.49 for 3oz or $5.83.oz
- 30 SPF
First I was really intrigued by a solid/paste sunscreen. It comes in a recyclable tin and the consistency is solid enough that TSA does not count it as your liquids so it is really nice to travel with. Once you get used to scooping out your sunscreen, it applies nicely and does not leave much of a white cast. There is no added smell but the natural smell of the combined ingredients is a little like the smell of dirt.
Sun Bum Mineral
- $14.93 for 3oz or $4.97/oz
- 50 SPF
This sunscreen was another that was very highly recommended. I was very excited to see that it rubs in well and leaves almost no white cast, but I was disappointed that there was no unscented option. The smell is a little strong for me, but if you are looking for that coconut vacation sunscreen smell, this is the product for you! It is also important to note that Sun Bum has both mineral and chemical sunscreens, only the ones in the white packaging are reef friendly.
Thinkbaby
- $12.99 for 3fl oz or $4.33/oz
- 50 SPF
Of all the sunscreens I tried, this one was hands down my favorite! It spread well and didn’t leave a white cast, even when sweating or swimming. It left my skin feeling moisturized without being sticky. This sunscreen does have a very light citrus smell and usually I prefer unscented but this was actually very nice. I even took this tube on a recent sailing trip to the Caribbean and I am happy to report that I did not get sunburnt once!
Bare Republic Mineral Face
- $11.29 for 1.7fl oz or $6.64/oz
- 30 SPF
This was the face sunscreen that I brought on vacation and I was very impressed with how well it stayed on. Even while swimming and snorkeling, it never stung my eyes or face like so many chemical sunscreens have in the past. At one point my mom commented on how nice my face was looking and accused me of wearing foundation on the boat. Since returning home, this has remained my daily sunscreen for my face and neck because it layers very nicely under makeup. The only downside I have found is that it tends to get stuck in facial hair. My workaround is to take a damp corner of a towel and wipe it out of my eyebrows, but my bearded fiancé finds it a little more annoying and prefers something less matte.
Mineral Liplux Organic Lip Balm
- $18
- 30 SPF
If you have never experienced the pain of sunburnt lips I envy your life! A nice lip balm with SPF is a summer essential, and bonus points if it comes in multiple colors! Well this is my 2019 favorite. I have been wearing the color Summer Crush, it is the perfect light rosy pink to wear every day, even on no makeup days!
Well there you have it, I hope you found this helpful and you try out one or two of the sunscreens I mentioned in the article, or one I didn’t, just as long as it is reef friendly and cruelty free! Let me know in the comments below what your favorite sunscreen is, I would love to try more and maybe make a more comprehensive list for summer 2020!
Cheers to responsible sun protection,
JetLag Leah
Cruelty Free Resources
- Logical Harmony - Tashina does a lot of research and has good store guides
- Jkissa's YouTube Channel - Jkissa is a wonderful cruelty free makeup artist on youtube with really cute dogs
- Natchbeaut - Jackie is a hilarious podcast host with a lot of really good product recommendations.
Reef Friendly Sources
Cruelty Free Sources