Regardless of skin type, we all need protection from harmful rays that can damage or cause damage to our skin. cancer forms. Sunscreen is made of carbon-containing molecules to either absorb light or reflect away from the skin, but one problem is when these same ingredients have been reported to be harmful to the environment, especially coral reefs. As a result, some manufacturers have gone to marketing.safe reef” sunglasses, but you may not have to worry.
While watching in sun shades is a warning, coral reef damage should not be high on the list. Here’s what we know about the environmental effects of sunshine and what a “safe” sunset should look like.
Do not change your sun view to save the coral reef
Sunscreen protects our skin from two types of harmful sun rays: UVB and UVA rays. UVB rays cause skin to swell and burn, and UVA rays are known to cause skin cancers such as melanoma. There are also two types of sunlight: physical and chemical. Skin cancer Basis clearly explains both.
Physical (mineral) sunscreens (including the minerals titanium dioxide and zinc oxide) block and disperse the rays before they enter skin.
Chemical sunscreens (like avobenzone and octisalate) absorb UV rays before they damage your skin.
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In a 2016 Study, the chemical form of sunscreen has been found to be harmful to coral reefs and raises the question “coral swelling, ”But a more recent study find “no measured levels” of the harmful chemical on seawater or in the coral itself. PhD chemistry and science content creator Dr. Michelle Wong is an expert on the subject, and will alleviate any concerns about the amount of sun damage caused by the coral reefs.
“It is always possible for sunlight to affect coral reefs, but the evidence so far shows that sunshine will not have a significant effect,” Wong explains. “The ocean is huge, so any sunlight that enters it weakens very quickly. ”
The real issue lies with the mass production of things like plastics, over farming, and the pollutants that contribute to climate change. Wong says most companies that incorporate natural ingredients are “very energetic to produce.” When you think you are solving one problem, it creates another problem.
Why you should use physical sunlight
Sunlight will not travel through water in sufficient quantity to contribute to the swelling or damage of coral reefs. However, if you find yourself swimming right on top of a coral reef on your next scuba diving trip, Dr. Wong suggests that it will be “better than the ingredients that have made a bigger impact in work studies — avoid oxybenzone and octinoxate. ”
If you want to protect yourself and do a little bit for the environment, choose a physical sunshade. Physical sunglasses use the chemicals titanium dioxide or zinc oxide to create a barrier between your skin and the UVA or UVB rays; they are not entirely “natural,” but we do not know that they cause swelling of coral reefs.
“Many of the sunglasses marketed as ‘reef safe’ have a bad texture and cause a white tint on the skin, which means people are less likely to use them and they tend to ending on the shelf, which is not good for the environment, ”said Dr Wong. This doesn’t mean throwing away your sunglasses and running out to buy new tubes, of course, but the next time you run out of sunscreen, think about it. clear administration of oxybenzone and octinoxate.