For many, summer is the best season of all, not only because it’s holiday season. But to enjoy the sun safely, sun protection is a must.
Sunscreen belongs to summer like ice cream, BBQs and warm summer nights, or at least it should. The ultraviolet radiation from our sun can cause real harm to our health.
However, the scientific community has shown that the sunscreens we commonly use have a negative impact on aquatic life. Hence, the need for eco-friendly sunscreens.
In this article, we will answer all the frequently asked questions about sustainable sunscreens.
Why Is Sunscreen Bad For The Environment?
Let’s start with the most obvious: what makes conventional sun lotions, creams and sprays bad for our planet? There are two parts to the answer: ingredients and packaging.
Plastic Packaging
When you go into a supermarket or a Boots and look at the shelf with all the sun protection products, what do you see? Yes, plastic bottle after plastic bottle. And that’s one of the issues. We all know we have a plastic waste problem.
And even if the plastic packaging used is recyclable, that won’t solve the problem, because recycling isn’t the answer. Firstly, because only about 44% of plastic waste is actually recycled in the UK. The rest either goes to landfill, is incinerated or sent abroad.
The UK just doesn’t have the resources to recycle the vast amounts of plastic waste we produce. Secondly, plastic can only be recycled maybe two to three times before it’s of too low quality to be useful. And then it ends up in landfill.
Plastic can take hundreds of years to break down and during this process it can release toxic chemicals and microplastics into our environment.
On top of all that, over 99% of plastic is made from fossil fuels. The use of fossil fuels is responsible for greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to climate change.
All this means that we need to reduce the amount of plastic we use. Don’t get me wrong, plastic has its place, but we are far too over-reliant on it. Everything today is made of plastic, not just packaging. So when it’s not necessary, we need to look for plastic-free alternatives that are better for our planet.
And most cosmetics and personal care products don’t need to be in plastic packaging: think about shampoo bars, deodorants, soap bars, shaving bars, hand cream, foundation and, of course, sunscreen.
Harmful Ingredients
The other big problem with most conventional sunscreens available in the UK is their ingredients. Especially the ultraviolet filters, the active ingredients that protect your skin from the sun’s radiation, have come under fire because research has shown that they negatively affect marine life.
There are two types of UV filters: chemical and mineral ones, and it’s the chemical or organic ultraviolet filters that have shown to be so detrimental to our environment. Unfortunately, the vast majority of sunscreens you can buy in the UK contain chemical UV filters.
They are synthetic ingredients, mostly made from petrochemicals, which means fossil fuels.
And there are quite a few organic ultraviolet filters that are used and to ensure the best protection against the sun’s rays, a mixture of different filters is used. Scientific studies have shown that they cause harm to aquatic life. (Wheate, 2022)
Mineral or inorganic filters are seen as the more eco-friendly option, for one they are made from rock rather than fossil fuels. But they are also less likely to harm marine life. There are only two approved to be used in personal care products: Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide.
There is one caveat though, as the mineral UV filters used have to be in non-nano form. This means they are not so small that they can interact with organisms in our waterways.
Studies have shown that nano particles of inorganic UV filters can also harm our environment. (Wong et al., 2020)
If you want to know more, read our full article about why sunscreens are bad for the environment.
Which Ingredients In Sunscreen Should I Avoid?
To ensure that the sunscreen you buy is eco-friendly, you need to know which are the nasty ingredients to avoid. Because there is a big number of chemical UV filters approved to be used in the UK, the list is quite long. And to complicate matters even further, many of them have several names they can be listed as.
Here are the chemical ultraviolet filters you should avoid:
- Isoamyl P-Methoxycinnamate
- Octinoxate
- Octisalate
- Homosalate
- Trisiloxane
- Avobenzone
- Octocrylene
- Benzophenones
- Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
- Triazone
- TriAsorB
- Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
- Tris-Biphenyl Triazine
Remember that a number of these are likely to be used in one sunscreen. And even if you find one or both of the two mineral UV filters – Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide – on the ingredients list, still check that none of these chemical filters are also included.
Often an inorganic filter is added to achieve broad spectrum protection.
Apart from these active ingredients, there are also inactive ingredients that are used in conventional sunscreens you should avoid. These include some preservatives, moisturisers and fragrances:
- Phthalates
- Parabens
- Methylisothiazolinone
- Phenoxyethanol
- Polydimethylsiloxane
- Silicone
- Dimethicone
- Cyclopentasiloxane
- Cyclotetrasiloxane
- Cyclohexasiloxane
If the list of ingredients also contains “perfume” or “fragrances”, make sure these are from natural sources, such as essential oils. Otherwise, they are from synthetic fragrance chemicals which are some of the most harmful ingredients for our environment.
To find out more and discover the other names chemical UV filters could be called, read our article about which ingredients in sunscreens to avoid and why.
Should I Stop Using Sunscreen?
After reading all this, you can be forgiven for wondering if it might be best for our planet if we just stop using sunscreens altogether. But this isn’t an option, because it’s a vital part of protecting us from the sun’s radiation.
Of the three ultraviolet rays the sun sends out, two reach us on the surface of the earth: UVA and UVB. Both can penetrate our skin and cause harm, including skin cancer. (Wei et al., 2024)
To protect us from the sun’s radiation, the NHS and other health authorities recommend that we use sunscreen as well as take other measures. These include seeking shade, covering up, and staying out of the sun when it’s at its strongest.
By not using sunscreen, we would put our health at risk, which isn’t really an option, is it? If you want to reduce the impact you have on our planet, you don’t have to stop using sunscreens. Instead, you can opt for eco-friendly sunscreens that will protect you and the environment.
Find out more in our article about why I didn’t stop using sunscreen.
What’s The Alternative To Chemical Sunscreens?
As we have seen, chemical sunscreens, the ones that contain organic UV filters, are the ones that have the biggest impact on our environment. The best eco-friendly alternative are mineral sunscreens, as they are seen as safer for our planet.
Although no sunscreen is 100% safe for the environment, after all we introduce something that shouldn’t be there, scientists agree that mineral sunscreens are the most eco-friendly option. (Caloni et al., 2021)
However, not all mineral sunscreens are equal, as some of them use inorganic UV filters in nano form. So what does this mean? It relates to the size of the ultraviolet filter particles, with nano meaning very small.
One issue with mineral sunscreens is that they can leave a whitish film on the skin because the filters reflect visible light. Many people don’t like this as it isn’t aesthetically pleasing.
So to counteract this, manufacturers have reduced the size of the filters to create nano particles. This helps to reduce the appearance of a whitish film on the skin. (Smijs et al., 2011)
And while this solves one problem, it creates another one. The nano particles of Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide are small enough to cause similar harm as organic UV filters that are also used in nano form. Studies have shown that nano mineral filters can cause harm to aquatic life. (Wong et al., 2020; Sun et al., 2022)
So to ensure that you use a sun lotion or cream that has the least impact on our environment, look for mineral sunscreens that only use inorganic UV filters in non-nano form.
To find out more about this topic, read our guide about the most sustainable alternative to chemical sunscreens.
What’s The Difference Between Chemical And Mineral Sunscreens?
Given that mineral sunscreens are the better option for our environment, it’s good to know how they differ from chemical ones.
The first difference is what they are made from. Chemical UV filters are synthetic chemicals that are made from carbon-based source materials. Often, this means the use of petrochemicals. Meanwhile, mineral ultraviolet filters are made from minerals, i.e. rocks.
Although mineral or inorganic UV filters are often seen as natural, they are still made in the lap, as the rocks/minerals need to be chemically processed to get the filters.
It’s often said that inorganic UV filters block the radiation whereas organic ones absorb it. That’s a bit of a myth. Scientists have shown that both types of ultraviolet filters mostly protect our skin from the sun’s radiation by absorbing it.
Inorganic filters only reflect or scatter a small amount of the radiation, rather than all of it as is often thought. (Cole et al., 2015)
Mineral sunscreens are also classed as broad spectrum, because both Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide absorb both UVA and UVB light. (Serpone et al., 2005) On the other hand, the majority of chemical ultraviolet filters absorb UVB radiation only, a small number only protects from UVA rays and an even smaller number can absorb both.
Another difference is that organic UV filters are absorbed by the skin, while inorganic ones form a protective layer on the skin. At least, if they are in non-nano form, as the smaller particles are absorbed by the skin.
Because chemical sunscreens are absorbed, they can cause skin irritation, which is why people with sensitive skin are recommended to use mineral sunscreens. (Ekstein et al., 2023)
But there are further impacts on our health. As the chemical UV filters are absorbed they can get into our bodies where they can cause harm. Several studies have found evidence for this. (Fu et al., 2024; Lorigo et al., 2024)
If the chemicals aren’t absorbed, they can’t cause any harm, which is why mineral filters are seen as the safer option. Of course, this is only true if they are used in non-nano form.
And we have already seen that organic UV filters have a bigger impact on the environment than inorganic ones in non-nano form.
If you want to find out more differences, read our articles about how chemical and mineral sunscreens differ.
Do Mineral Sunscreens Work?
The simple answer is yes. Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide are very effective at absorbing harmful UVA and UVB radiation when applied correctly.
It’s quite telling that the FDA, the American governmental body that approves health products, only classifies those two mineral UV filters as safe and effective. Even though it has also approved 14 chemical filters for use in the USA, but crucially doesn’t deem them safe and effective.
The best protection is offered by a mineral sunscreen that uses a combination of both inorganic filters as one is better absorbing UVA radiation, whereas the other is better with UVB rays. (Smijs et al., 2011)
And not only do mineral sunscreens work very well, they also have other benefits. We have touched on some of them already, but if you want to know more, read our article about how mineral sun lotions and creams work just as well.
Is “Reef-Safe” Sunscreen Better For The Planet?
The answer is not really. Let’s shed light on this rather complicated by starting to explain where the term came from.
In the 2010s, researchers looked at the effect of sunscreen ingredients on marine life. And the result was that the chemical UV filters Oxybenzone and Octinoxate contributed to coral bleaching. Following this, Hawaii banned the sale of sun creams and lotions containing those two UV filters. (Levine, 2020)
In response to this and similar bans that followed, sunscreen manufacturers have removed Oxybenzone and Octinoxate from their products and stuck the label “reef-safe” or “ocean-friendly” or something similar on their bottles.
But it’s not just these two chemical ultraviolet filters that can cause coral bleaching, as a study by Danovaro et al. from 2008 has shown. Octocrylene and Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane have also shown to cause harm to coral reefs.
Besides, even the UV filters that haven’t shown to contribute to coral bleaching have been proven to harm aquatic life, such as zebrafish, crustaceans and algae. (Chatzigianni et al., 2022)
Let’s look at an actual example. Nivea claims that their sunscreens have an “Ocean Respect formula” because they don’t contain the UV filters Oxybenzone, Octinoxate and Octocrylene or microplastics.
However, looking at the ingredient lists, they do contain Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane which does also contribute to coral bleaching according to Danovaro’s study. And many other ingredients they use are also proven to be harmful to aquatic life.
Other chemical UV filters used in the sunscreen are relatively new and haven’t been studied much yet. However, Ethylhexyl Triazone is considered as potentially harmful by one study, although it calls for more research into it. (Apel et al., 2018)
The same with Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, which hasn’t been studied much either, but one study concluded it is likely to cause long-term harm to marine life. (Miller et al., 2021)
Phenoxyethanol is another ingredient found in Nivea sunscreen. It’s a preservative and a study has found that it is harmful to zebrafish. (Goldstein, 2021).
The sunscreens also contain perfume, and it’s very likely that synthetic fragrance chemicals have been used, as it doesn’t mention anywhere that they use essential oil. Not only are these artificial fragrance chemicals made from petrochemicals, they are also toxic to our environment. (Picone et al., 2021)
As this example shows, the label “reef-safe”, “ocean-safe” or “Ocean Respect formula” doesn’t necessarily mean that the sunscreen is eco-friendly. It just means that it doesn’t contain certain ingredients. But not that the ingredients used are safe for our environment.
Lables like this always need to be approached with caution, because they aren’t protected terms that can only be used under certain circumstances, mostly if the product has been certified or approved to use it.
To make sure that the sunscreen you buy is eco-friendly, follow our tips below…
How To Find An Eco-Friendly Sunscreen That Works For You?
If you want to reduce the impact you have on our environment, switching to eco-friendly sun protection is key. And to do that you need to know what to look for:
- Make sure that the ingredients are not harmful to the environment – mineral UV filters in non-nano form and plant-based or biodegradable inactive ingredients
- Buy from a company that puts the environment first – don’t buy a product from an eco-range when the company sells harmful products as well
- Get a sunscreen that is broad spectrum – this means you are protected from UVA and UVB radiation
- Don’t forget to get the SPF that is right for you – generally an SPF of 30 or higher is recommended
Following these criteria will most likely lead you to small family-run UK businesses that have been founded out of the desire to make a difference for our planet or because they identified a lack of eco-friendly alternatives for everyday products.
If you want to know in more detail about what to look for, read our article about switching to eco-friendly sun protection.
