The Ocean Friendly Suncream You Need To Try

Hi, my name's Becca and I'm ashamed to admit that it was only fairly recently that I found out that sun cream isn't good for ocean life. I mean, yes, it makes a lot of sense but I'd never really thought about it, you know? We get so caught up on preventing sunburn and skin cancer and taught to reapply suncream every few hours that it's not something that's often given a second thought...

According to the National Geographic, '14,000 tons of sunscreen are thought to wash into the oceans each year. This is a problem because the chemicals found in the sun cream like oxybenzone can seep into the water, where they’re absorbed by corals. These substances contain nanoparticles that can disrupt coral’s reproduction and growth cycles, ultimately leading to bleaching.' This chemical, oxybenzone, is used in more than 3,500 sunscreen products worldwide (Huffington Post). 

However, swimming isn't the only way for these harmful chemicals to make it into the sea... They're also washed down the drains when you shower and suncream aerosols can spray a large amount of product onto the sand which also gets washed into the ocean (National Geographic).

Coral Reefs aren't on the planet just for divers to look in awe at, they're part of many a vital ecosystem. Not only that, but many medicines are developed from coral reef animals and plants. These include treatments for cancer, viruses and human bacterial infections (NOAA). So yeah, the corals being bleached by our suncream is definitely a huge issue. 

But, what can we do about it? Enter Freshly's Healthy Protection SPF50 Body Lotion*. One of many marine-life safe suncreams available and one I really like...

The Ocean-Friendly Suncream You Need To Try

I recently spent a fortnight in Mauritius, and took this beauty with me.

Now, I'm going to be honest - it is different to every other suncream I'd ever tried. It doesn't have the silky texture of I'm used to. This is because the consistency is quite a bit thicker and takes a bit longer to rub fully into the skin. It smells almost like playdough and has a slight pinkish tint when you first apply it, making it easy to spot any patches that you've missed!

Now, I'm someone who's particularly sensitive to the sun. I've burnt after an afternoon in the sun at school, so it's fair to say I'm a good person to test the ability of a product like this... If it doesn't work, my skin will obviously show it! But, I wore this particular suncream pretty much every day on my trip and didn't burn once!

So, all in all, I'd highly recommend this product. It's made of 99% natural ingredients and hence is ocean-friendly, it's SPF50 and protected my fair skin perfectly and has a slight tint which aids a thorough application! It is a bit pricier than your usual bottle of Nivea, but, if you're looking to spend a bit more and help the planet's ecosystems then it's a really good one to try!