Most sunscreens you can buy in the UK contain ingredients that harm our environment. But which are bad for the planet, and can you avoid them?
Protecting your skin from the sun is important and sunscreen should be a vital part of your routine. Stopping to use sun cream or lotion isn’t an option, as this could be detrimental to your health.
At the same time, sunscreens have a negative impact on our environment, which is mostly down to the use of chemical UV filters. The good news is there is an eco-friendly alternative to chemical sunscreens: mineral sunscreens.
But to ensure that the sun cream or lotion you use has the lowest possible impact on our planet, you need to know which ingredients in sunscreen to avoid. So in this article we will tell which ones those are and why they are so bad for our environment.
Avoid Chemical UV Filters
The active ingredient in sunscreens are UV filters, which absorb the sun’s radiation to keep it from reaching your skin and cause damage. (Serpone et al., 2005) Unfortunately, most of the commonly used chemical UV filters are harmful for aquatic life. (Wheate, 2022)
There are only two UV filters that are seen as safe for the environment: Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide, both of which are mineral sunscreens. For them to have the least impact on aquatic life, they have to be used in non-nano form.
So look out for these two mineral filters when buying sunscreen. But you also need to know which are the ones to avoid:
- Homosalate
- Avobenzone
- Benzophenones
- Octisalate
- Octocrylene
- Octinoxate
- Triazone
- Trisiloxane
- Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
- Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
- Isoamyl P-Methoxycinnamate
- Tris-Biphenyl Triazine
- TriAsorB
To complicate matters, many of these UV filters can be listed under different names on the ingredient lists of sunscreens. So let’s look at these synthetic ingredients in more detail to ensure you know exactly which ingredients in sunscreen to avoid.
Homosalate, Octocylene, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, TriAsorB, Isoamyl P-Methoxycinnamate and Tris-Biphenyl Triazine should be on the label under these names. But the rest have other names too.
Research has been carried out on some of these, such as Homosalate and Octocylene, and the result was that Octocylene is one of the most toxic UV filters for aquatic life (Thorel et al., 2020). Homosalate were found to be harmful to zebrafish in one study (Lee et al., 2023).
Now let’s look at the UV filters that might appear under different names on sunscreen labels.
Avobenzone
This ultraviolet filter might be called Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane or 4-tert-butyl-4′-methoxydibenzoylmethane on your sunscreen label. It absorbs UVA light and is used in combination with other chemical filters.
So if you spot it on your sunscreen label, you know that it won’t be the only one.
Avobenzone is one of those chemical or organic ultraviolet filters that has been proven to be harmful to the environment. One study has shown that it has a negative effect on the reproduction of mussels in the Mediterrean. (Bordalo et al., 2022)
But this UV filter doesn’t just affect aquatic life. One study has shown that it can also harm plants, even ones we eat. Cucumber plants who are watered with water that contains this UV filter, have shown to have a reduced ability to photosynthesise and breath. (Zong et al., 2020)
So as you can see, this is quite a nasty ingredient and needs to be kept out of our environment. So avoid whenever you can.
Benzophenones
Other names for this ultraviolet filter might appear on an ingredient list of a sun lotion or cream are: Benzophenone-3, Oxybenzone, Dioxybenzone and Sulisobenzone.
This filter absorbs UVB and UVA2 light, which makes it a commonly used ingredient in sunscreens and other cosmetics.
Like Avobenzone, it has been shown to harm cucumber plants in the study by Zong et al. from 2020. Another study found that it can cause oxidative stress to seagrass. (Garcia-Marquez et al., 2024) It was also found that it stops freshwater alga from breathing and photosynthesising. (Li et al., 2024)
So another UV filter that should be avoided.
Octisalate
This ultraviolet filter could appear on the label under several different names: Octyl Salicylate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate or Butyloctyl Salicylate. Like most other organic filters, this one absorbs UVB light, but not UVA.
So it’s likely it’s used in combination with other UV filters to achieve broad spectrum protection.
While this particular UV filter hasn’t been studied as much as others for its effect on the environment, a study has shown that Octisalate is harmful to crustaceans (Nemeth et al., 2024)).
Octinoxate
On the ingredient list of a sunscreen you might find this UV filter under the names Octylmethoxycinnamate or Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate. It absorbs UVB radiation only.
Octinoxate has been shown to impact on cucumber plants as set out in the study by Zong et al., from 2020. And there is also scientific proof of this UV filter being toxic to crustaceans. (Park et al., 2016)
Triazone
There are quite a few different names for this ultraviolet filter: Ethylhexyl Triazone, Octyl Triazone
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate and Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone. It absorbs UVB and UVA2 radiation.
Again, this UV filter hasn’t been studied much. But one study does suggest that it does pose a potential environmental hazard, although more research is needed. (Apel et al., 2018)
Trisiloxane
You might find this UV filter under the names Drometrizole Trisiloxane or Mexoryl XL on the label of your sunscreen. The latter is a brand name. It’s one of the few chemical ultraviolet filters that is capable of absorbing both UVB and UVA radiation.
While this UV filter hasn’t been studied much, a study did find it in marine organisms and that it bioaccumulates as well as biomagnifies, which is a concern. (Cadena-Aizaga et al., 2022)
Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
There are two other names this ingredient could be called on a sunscreen label: Bis Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine or Tinosorb, which is its brand name. This is another of the organic filters that absorb both UVA and UVB radiation.
This is a newer UV filter on the market, which is probably why there isn’t much in the way of research with this ingredient, but one study classed it as potentially causing long-term harm to aquatic life. (Miller et al., 2021)
Inactive Ingredients In Sunscreens To Avoid
The UV filters we have discussed so far are the active ingredients in a sunscreen product. This means that they are the ones that will protect you from the sun’s UV radiation. However, sun creams and lotions also contain inactive ingredients.
These won’t protect you from UV light, but will extend the sunscreen’s shelf life, ensure the product won’t separate, make it easier to spread, make it smell nice, etc. Crucially, only active ingredients come under regulations.
This means that a UV filter that is listed as an active ingredient might only be allowed to be used up to a certain amount. An inactive ingredient, on the other hand, does not fall under the same regulations.
But these inactive ingredients or additives are still part of the formulation and can be harmful to our environment as well. And we have noticed that some of the UV filters were listed under inactive ingredients, probably because their main purpose isn’t to absorb UV rays.
With this in mind, it’s important to also look at these and avoid sunscreens that contain inactive ingredients that harm our environment.
So let’s have a closer look at those…
Preservatives
The role of preservatives in personal care products, as well as food, is to prevent harmful bacteria, which could harm us. By doing so, they also extend the shelf life of any product.
So they are a necessary ingredient to keep sunscreens safe and last longer. However, many of the commonly used preservatives are harmful to our environment. And it doesn’t matter if these are used in mineral or chemical sunscreens: you want to avoid them in both.
Here are the worst preservatives for our environment:
- Parabens
- Methylisothiazolinone
- Phenoxyethanol
It’s well known that parabens are bad for our environment, but they are still used in personal care products, including sun creams and lotions.
It’s a group of chemicals, so different versions could be used in sunscreens: methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, isopropylparaben, butylparaben, isobutylparaben or benzylparaben.
Several studies have shown that parabens are harmful to aquatic life, such as shrimp, algae, zebrafish and microorganisms. (Dailianis et al., 2023)
Mthylisonthiazolinone has been studied less than parabens, but one study has shown that it has a negative impact on zebrafish larvae. (Lee et al., 2021) Another study has shown that it can affect the root growth of Thale Cress, a plant from the mustard family. (You et al., 2024)
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative we have noticed on the ingredient lists of many sun lotions and creams sold in the UK. It has different names: 2-phenoxyethanol, ethylene glycol monophenyl ether, phenoxytol, 1-hydroxy-2-phenoxyethane and (2-hydroxyethoxy) benzene.
A study by Goldstein from 2020 has shown that this preservative has a negative effect on zebrafish.
Phthalates
This group of chemicals are used in a variety of products, including personal care products such as sunscreens. While some of them have been banned in the UK in 2019, many others are still allowed to be used.
Phthalates are most often associated with fragrances in personal care products, as they are used as carriers for the scent. Unfortunately, this means they won’t be listed on the ingredient list, as they will be part of the formulation of the perfume used.
Because these are classed as a trade secret, all it will say in the list is “fragrance” or “perfume”.
But phthalates have other uses too, for example, they are used as emulsifiers. In lotions and creams, this means they bind ingredients together.
If they are named on the label, they always end in “phthalate”, so easy to recognise. However, their initials might also be named: BBP, DBP, DEHP, DEP, DHP, DIDP, DINP, DMP, DNOP, MBP, MEHP, MPP.
There is a reason why some of them have been banned, or their use restricted, as they are neither good for us nor the environment. Many of them have been found to be endocrine disruptors and harmful to our health.
They are also harmful to our environment, with one study suggesting that they are toxic to zebrafish. (Li et al., 2022) Scientists have also found that phthalates are present in many marine animals, including whales and dolphins. (Andvik et al., 2023)
Another study found that high concentrations of phthalates affect the development of sea urchins. (Gambardella et al., 2024) So whenever possible, keep away from this group of chemicals for the sake of our environment and your own.
The best way to know that there aren’t any of these nasty chemicals in a product is by the label stating that it doesn’t contain phthalates. That’s because depending on why they are used, they might not be on the ingredient list.
For example, if they are used as part of the fragrance formulation or as a by-product of processing, according to a report by the Women’s Environmental Network.
Moisturizers
Many sunscreen lotions and creams also contain moisturizers or emollients. These will help your skin to stay hydrated by creating a hydration barrier on your skin. They are a great addition for your skin, but not so good for the environment.
Siloxane are often used for this purpose in personal care products. This group of chemicals are made from silicone and can have several different names: polydimethylsiloxane, silicone, dimethicone, cyclopentasiloxane, cyclotetrasiloxane or cyclohexasiloxane.
These chemicals take a long time to biodegrade, so they will persist in the environment, which makes them liable for bioaccumulation. They are also classed as toxic to aquatic life, according to a report by the EU from 2023.
The EU has, as a result, restricted their use. So it’s best to avoid these chemicals. You can spot them on the ingredient list by their endings: -cone or -siloxane.
Fragrances
Another group of chemicals that are really bad for our environment are synthetic fragrance chemicals. They are used in most sunscreens and will only appear under “perfume” or “fragrances”, as we have already explained above.
A study has shown that the commonly used synthetic fragrance chemicals adversely affect the larvae of marine copepods, which are tiny animals that are eaten by others. (Picone et al., 2021)
Another study looked at what happens when fragrance chemicals end up in our waterways. They degrade into different chemicals, which are more toxic than the original fragrance chemical. (Wu et al., 2021)
Synthetic fragrances are also mostly made from petrochemicals, which means they are made from fossil fuels, which we need to get away from for the sake of our planet.
Because the individual chemicals won’t appear on the ingredient list, the best way to avoid them is to buy a sunscreen from a company that clearly states that they don’t use synthetic fragrances.
The Fewer Chemical Ingredients The Better
As you can see, knowing which ingredients in sunscreen to avoid isn’t simple. That’s because most personal care products you can buy today contain an array of different synthetic chemical ingredients.
Some are active ingredients, the UV filters, others have been added to give added benefits, such as moisturisers and others again are needed to make the product the right consistency, easy to use and extend its shelf life.
To buy sunscreens that are safer for our environment, look for ones that contain less chemical ingredients. Natural oils or shea butter is a natural alternative to chemical moisturisers. There are also plant-based preservatives and fragrances that are better for our planet.
And the best alternative to chemical UV filters are non-nano mineral filters. There are only two: Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide, which makes it easy indeed. They work just as well as chemical filters.
So when you look for an eco-friendly sunscreen, look for one that doesn’t contain the above-mentioned ingredients and one that contains plant-based inactive ingredients. These will be better for our environment.
