Best eco-friendly sunscreens for your skin and the planet, tried and tested
The importance of wearing sunscreen daily cannot be overstated. Not only does it shield us from burning UV rays, it helps protect against signs of ageing and skin cancer. Yet, although it’s protecting you, some of the ingredients in your favourite formula may be harming our planet. So, with this in mind, we’ve rounded up the best eco-friendly sunscreens on the market.
Increasing research is being published that shows UV filters found in chemical sunscreens end up in our oceans, and can be toxic to coral reefs and marine life. Its estimated 14,000 tons of sun cream ends up in the sea each year, from people bathing and swimming, which is worrying news indeed.
In response, an increasing number of tourist hot spots – Hawaii, Florida’s Key West, and parts of Thailand, Mexico and the Caribbean, to name a few – around the world have banned some chemical filters. Closer to home, Holland & Barrett has stopped selling chemical sunscreens.
Typically, the main banned ingredients are the “three Os”: oxybenzone, octinoxate and octocrylene, though there are other troubling ingredients. Plus, it’s worth noting the use of terms such as “reef-safe and “reef-friendly” on packaging is not regulated, so the only way to know if your bottle contains any of
