The best new reef-safe sunscreens
When Chantecaille creative director Olivia Chantecaille heads to the shore, she wants to know that the SPF she’s tossed in her tote not only safeguards her skin, but the world’s increasingly fragile coral reef eco-system, too.
That’s why Chantecaille SeaScreen 30, a broad-spectrum mineral formula in a mist that deploys pressurized air rather than propellant chemicals to whoosh out of the can, contains no oxybenzone or octinoxate, ingredients known to have a weakening effect on coral. Adorned with a photo of a mother whale and her pup, sales of the plant-rich product benefit WildAid Marine, which supports conservation-critical areas around the globe.
Also waving the reef-friendly flag this summer? Clark’s Botanicals Invisible Hero SPF 30, an anti-aging hydrator and blue light-blocker; Sukin Naturals SPF 30 Sheer Touch Facial Lotion, powered by antioxidant-rich rosehip oil and green tea; and The A Method Protection Powder Sunscreen, a self-dispensing brush-on developed by dermatologist Tina Alster that’s available in myriad shades and leans on oxides like titanium and zinc to shield against pollution and sun.
Here are a few other sunscreens that promise to protect your skin — and the planet — with every slather, spritz or dab.