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  3. What Does Reef Friendly or Reef Safe Sunscreen Mean?
Ingredients

What Does Reef Friendly or Reef Safe Sunscreen Mean?

Although there is not a single formal definition for reef safe sunscreen, it typically means that a sunscreen is formulated with non-nano mineral or physical active ingredients, such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. It can also mean that a sunscreen is formulated without oxybenzone and octinoxate, which have been shown to cause coral bleaching.

Coral is typically bright and vibrant. When coral bleaching occurs, it stresses the coral out, making it more susceptible to disease and death.

All Vanicream™ Sunscreens contain reef friendly sunscreen active ingredients in their formulas, are oxybenzone and octinoxate free and offer broad spectrum protection from both UVA and UVB rays from the sun. 

Vanicream™ Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ and Vanicream™ Facial Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 are formulated with non-nano zinc oxide as the active ingredient.

Sources:

https://savethereef.org/about-reef-save-sunscreen.html

https://kohalacenter.org/kbec/reef-friendly-sunscreen

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/sunscreen-corals-noaa-studies.html#:~:text=In%20a%202016%20study%2C%20a,against%20the%20sun's%20harmful%20effects.

https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/everything-you-need-to-know-about-coral-bleaching-and-how-we-can-stop-it

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