This will make a huge difference in protecting our coral reefs, marine life, and human health,” Senator Mike Gabbard, who introduced the bill, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser last summer. “When you think about it, our island paradise, surrounded by coral reefs, is the perfect place to set the gold standard for the world to follow. ![]() That’s why Hawaii governor David Ige signed a bill into law last July that banned the sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone or octinoxate, making Hawaii the first state to take such action. In fact, even a tiny amount of oxybenzone can harm or kill corals by damaging the DNA of mature and larval coral, according to a study published in the Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. “Oxybenzone can cause coral bleaching that would then likely reduce the ability of coral to recover,” says Leiba. Oxybenzone, in particular, has been proven to have some pretty detrimental effects on the reefs. “Research shows that some of the sunscreen chemicals people should avoid to protect their health, like oxybenzone and octinoxate, may also endanger the health of coral reefs,” says Leiba. ![]() ![]() Geological Survey has called America’s coral reefs ‘imperiled national treasures,’ stating that the reefs are dying at alarming rates,” says Nneka Leiba, MPH, director of the Environmental Working Group’s healthy living science program. The major downside? The sunscreen you’re using to protect your body might actually be harming our oceans. You already know sunscreen is important: Slathering yourself in SPF is one of the best things you can do to protect yourself from skin cancer, the most common cancer in the United States.
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