Stick with zinc oxide sunscreen for reef safety.

Yes, mineral sunscreens (zinc oxide or titanium dioxide) are the only ones proven safe for reefs. Chemical filters like oxybenzone and octinoxate have been shown to damage coral and are banned in places like Hawaii and Key West.

The problem is that “reef-safe” isn’t a regulated term. Any company can slap that label on a bottle. The only way to know is to read the ingredients and avoid any chemical UV filters entirely. If it’s not a mineral-only sunscreen, it’s not reef-safe.

Brands like Supergoop! Play Mineral, Thinksport, Badger, and Blue Lizard are reliable. Look for “non-nano” mineral particles, which are less likely to be ingested by coral. And don’t forget that sunscreen washes off in the ocean, but also in the shower — so even if you’re not swimming, the runoff still goes somewhere.

Most drugstore mineral sunscreens will do the job. You don’t need to drop $30 on a boutique tube. Just check the active ingredients list and skip anything with oxybenzone or octinoxate.

The reef will thank you, and your