The SPF Initiative

What is Reef Safety?

"Reef Safe" refers to products or practices that minimize harm to coral reefs and marine ecosystems.

Every year, 4,000-6,000 tons of sunscreen washes off in water with coral reefs.
Reef Safe sunscreens avoid chemicals that are harmful to coral reefs, like oxybenzone and octinoxate.
The commitment to be reef-safe means opting for products that have less impact on marine environments and protecting coral reefs from pollution and other threats.

Why is it important to protect our reefs?

Coral Reefs help about 1 billion individuals and create habitats for approximately 32% of all known marine species.

When we wear sunscreen that is not reef-safe, it can wash off into the ocean and bleach, deform, or kill coral.
Sunscreen chemicals can also harm marine life living in the coral reefs. For example, these chemicals decrease fertility and reproduction in fish and can be passed down to baby dolphins.
The coral reefs in Florida have lost about 90% of their corals since the 1980's.

Test if Your Sunscreen is Reef-Safe

Hold up your sunscreen to your device's camera and our machine image model will tell you if it is reef-safe or not!

How You Can Help

Reef-Safe Sunscreen

Buy mineral-based sunscreen with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which are non-nano size particles that don't harm the reefs.

Buy now!

Away with Spray

Remember to not use sunscreen spray because it can easily fall on the sand when you are applying and go into the ocean, harming the coral reefs in the process.

Water Resistance

Buy water-resistant sunscreen and apply at least 15 minutes before swimming. This will help decrease the chance of the sunscreen washing off in the water.

Clothes

Buying shirts, hats, and other accesories that are UPF-rated is a great way to protect your health while using less sunscreen, decreasing the risk of harming coral reefs.

Protect Our Reefs

Health to the ocean means health for us.

Sylvia Earle, Marine biologist and oceanographer