Safe Sunscreen Pledge

I pledge to make safe & sustainable sunscreen choices.

I understand sunscreen chemicals have a negative impact on people and the environment.

That these carcinogens and hormone disruptors aren’t filtered from waste water systems and often contaminate aquatic ecosystems – negatively impacting everything from corals, fish, mammals.

I will not trust unregulated “reef safe” labels on Sunscreen packaginG.

I will #flipthebottle and #readtheingredients!

Ingredients I look for:

Minerals like non-nano Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide in a natural base.

Ingredients I WILl avoid:

Oxybenzone, Octinoxate, Octocrylene, Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octisalate, Parabens, Phenoxyethanol, Synthetic Fragrance / Parfum, BHT, Propylene Glycol, Phthalates, PEGs, Methylisothiazolinone, Cocomide DEA, Nano-Particles.

I’ll also avoid chemical aerosols,

which travel hundreds of feet in the breeze. Inhalation can be dangerous especially to keiki, elderly, those with health issues. FDA recommends to never spray them directly on children. They’re also a problem for locals who live or work around pools and beaches and are forced to inhale these toxic chemicals daily. They coat sand where kids play, mammals like monk seals sleep, honu (sea turtles) lay their eggs. During high tide they are pulled into the ocean, where they continue to stress corals and kill coral larvae as they spawn.

I understand some popular tourist destinations like Hawai’i have an extremely high UV Index

and can take mere minutes to burn. I’ll take precautions utilizing hats, UV protective clothing, seeking shade, especially between 10am-3pm. I’ll rely on broad spectrum sunscreen protection to supplement to these actions.

I pledge to be a pono, sustainable traveler,

and malama (caretake) the places I visit, so future generations can experience their beauty.