Forgot Your Sunscreen? Shop Our Favorite Reef-Friendly Brands

Starting on October 1, 2022, the sale, distribution, and use of non-mineral sunscreens will be banned in Maui County waters. At The Ritz Carlton O’ahu, Turtle Bay, we’re holding ourselves to the same standard until this ordinance carries over to Oahu and the rest of our Hawaiian islands. 

Hawaii was the first state in the U.S. to ban the sale of sunscreen containing the coral-harming chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate, ushering in a new era of reef-safe sunscreen. However, many brands still advertise as being “reef-friendly” while containing harmful preservatives and additives that were not originally banned in the reef-friendly sunscreen mandate.

There are many ingredients that can contribute to the bleaching and inevitable death of coral, but the good list of ingredients is short and sweet. To be considered truly reef-friendly, sunscreen should only contain non-nano zinc oxide and non-nano titanium dioxide. 

In our retail outlets, we carry only mineral sunscreen collections from All Good, Manda, Project Reef, Hampton Sun, and Supergoop. If you forgot your sunscreen at home (or just want to try out a new brand), head to Watershed, Breeze, Surf House, or The Shop after you check in. 

For more information on reef-friendly sunscreen, check out the Safe Sunscreen Council for a list of the top mineral sunscreens in the U.S. and All Good for a list of toxic chemicals to avoid.