adminWith summer just around the corner we think it’s beneficial to talk a little on sunscreen and some of it’s harmful chemicals. Now believe me as a redhead, I NEED sunscreen to survive. However, a recent study has shown that the tiny microscopic metals found in some sunscreens can be extremely harmful to sea life.
Nano-materials, which are 100,000x smaller than a strand of human hair, have proven to be harmful to marine worms, crustaceans, algae, fish, and mussels, among other sea creatures. More recently these particles have been shown to affect urchin embryos by stinting their growth or even worse they would grow but were unable to eat and later died.
Benzophenone-2 and BP-2 are two main chemicals found to be harmful to coral. They’re causing colorful coral to become bleached, mutated and are eventually killing them. These chemicals are not only found in sunscreen but a lot of your cosmetics, body fragrances, and soaps too (here’s your cue to go run and check your products!).
“It really comes down to the size of beaches,” states one scientist. In larger places such as LA or Florida it can be a significant problem just with the sheer number of people who enjoy the area but smaller areas might not need to worry just yet. I mean chemicals are everywhere; we’re throwing them on the ground when we litter and we’re putting them on our face when we go to bed at night. There are scientists that argue this is not a large issue at hand right now but there are slight ways to slowly make a difference so it doesn’t become a global problem.
Now this isn’t to say don’t ever wear sunscreen or go in the ocean but we need to be more conscientious about the products we are buying. If possible purchase lotions with zinc oxide over anything and you don’t need a lot to cover your entire body. Remember, the fewer chemicals listed in ingredients the better!
Keep these tips in mind and happy sunbathing this summer!
– K
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