Sunscreen is good for skin, but is it good for the coral reefs? (Image via Roswell Park)

Sunscreen's Safety for Skin and Coral Reefs

The number one reason why people would buy sunscreen is because they are afraid of getting skin cancer. Many people from dermatologists to beauty vloggers recommend people not to forget to use sunscreen before leaving home. However, does sunscreen really safe for your skin?

According to the America Academy of Dermatology, sunscreen is safe to use and the dermatologists have recommend the patients to use it. The scientific studies show that using sunscreen on a daily basis will be able to prevent people from getting skin cancer. Moreover, not only for preventing skin cancer, sunscreen with SPF 30 and higher will be able to prevent sunburn and decrease signs of aging on one’s skin.

The sun at around 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. is the most dangerous one. At that period of time, the shadow is even shorter than your height, so it is a must for you to wear clothes that could cover you from the sun. Wearing thin layers of long shirt, hat, and sunglasses will help to decrease exposure to the sun. For the rest of the skin that is not covered, applying sunscreen is the best solution.

Lately, there was a statement that sunscreen is bad for corals in the sea. Hawaii, Palau, and Key West have recently started to make a rule to ban the use of sunscreen. It is mainly because sunscreen contains oxybenzone, octionoxate, and parabens which may be damaging coral reefs.

Hence, the win-win solution for this matter is to wear a UV protective swim shirt and a hat in the beach and sea. For the sunscreen, you can still apply it on your hand and face—no need to apply it on the whole body. This will prevent one from getting a skin cancer and will be more eco-friendly for the coral reefs. Although wearing swim shirt and a hat are not cool, but at least we can help the coral reef to live.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/10/upshot/how-safe-is-sunscreen.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage§ion=The%20Upshot