Best Reef Safe Sunscreen: An Expert Snorkeler’s Guide 

If you are looking for a quick answer, here are my top 2 picks for the best reef safe sunscreens for snorkeling that are Hawaii-approved:

But, if you want to know more about the …

• Detailed reviews of each of my sunscreen picks
• Definition of a “reef safe” sunscreen
• What the studies say
• My honest confession

Then keep reading. 😊

Thinksport Zinc Oxide sunscreen is my #1 pick for reef safe sunscreen for snorkeling!

I just recently wore it all over Indonesia snorkeling with manta rays in Nusa Penida and numerous tropical fish and turtles in Komodo National Park.

No breakouts (I have acne-prone skin), and Thinksport rubbed in extremely well. I also like there’s no real smell to it. It was also slightly more matte than oily.

Reasons I Love Thinksport

✔️   High SPF 50

✔️   Initially has a white cast but rubs in very well, the best I’ve seen for a mineral sunscreen

✔️   Fast absorbing and no stickiness

✔️   Non-nano zinc oxide 23.4%

✔️   Water resistant for up to 80 minutes (I personally reapply after every snorkeling session even if it’s only been 30 minutes)

✔️   Neutral smell

✔️   Environmental Working Group (EWG) verified

✔️   Hawaii + Maui/Big Island approved

I also had the chance to test out Thrive BodyShield while snorkeling all over French Polynesia: the Aquarium & Tiputa Pass, Blue Lagoon in Rangiroa, Coral Garden in Taha’a, and Moorea.

Honestly, it’s really splitting hairs between Thinksport and Thrive.

Both are great options. With frequent application, no burns.

Thrive has a slightly more hydrating feel (possibly due to the added super plant ingredients). It also takes a little more time to rub in, but it doesn’t leave a white cast.

Reasons I Love Thrive Sunscreen

✔️   High SPF 50

✔️   Initially has a white cast but rubs in clear

✔️   Fast absorbing and no stickiness

✔️   More hydrating possibly due to the super plant ingredients such as larch tree and macadamia

✔️   Non-nano zinc oxide 23.5%

✔️   Water resistant for up to 80 minutes

✔️   Pleasant stronger smell

✔️   Hawaii + Maui/Big Island approved

What does reef-safe or reef-friendly really mean?

Non-mineral (chemical) sunscreen absorbs into the skin, whereas mineral (physical) sunscreen creates a film on the skin that reflects the sun’s rays.

Mineral sunscreens contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide and are considered reef safe.

There are no agreed upon definitions of reef safe by the experts, but most would agree you should look for the following ingredients:

• Mineral sunscreen only (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide)
• Non-nano zinc oxide/titanium dioxide
• No oxybenzone or octinoxate

Reef safe mineral sunscreens can then be further broken down into nano and non-nano formulations.

An even stricter definition of reef safe sunscreen is the sunscreen must contain only NON NANO zinc oxide/titanium dioxide.

Nano mineral sunscreens have particles that are so small they almost seem transparent. That means you avoid the Casper the Ghost look, but there is some absorption into the skin.

Non-nano mineral sunscreens, in contrast, have much larger particles and have more of a white cast in general. 

Reef experts feel non-nano mineral sunscreens are safer for the reef since nanoparticles could be absorbed by coral just like our skin.

But is non-nano really “safer” for the reef?

The jury is still out.

More studies are needed, which is also what the Environmental Working Group (EWG) concluded.

It is a well known fact coral reefs are declining, and mass bleaching events are seen all over the world.

My husband and I first witnessed it in 2012 when we snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

Reef experts point to global warming and rising sea temperatures as driving factors, but they also feel local events such as sunscreens washing off swimmers are also contributing factors.

There’s NO sunscreen that has been proven to be completely safe for the reefs.

Sunscreen damage was first suggested in a 2008 paper by Roberto Danovaro.

Certain sunscreen ingredients such as oxybenzone (2015 study) and octinoxate have been shown in LAB studies to be detrimental to coral.

Hawaii passed Act 104 which banned these two ingredients. Maui and the Big Island actually took it one step further and passed bills to only allow mineral-based sunscreen.

Other tropical destinations including U.S. Virgin Islands, Palau, Aruba, and Bonaire have also banned sunscreens with specific UV filters because of these studies.

As an avid snorkeler, it is super important to me to protect our beautiful reefs and make sure what we lather on our bodies is also safe.

But more research is needed because “the existing literature provides insufficient evidence to conclude that these sunscreen ingredients threaten reef safety” as the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD) points out.

Furthermore, as the Environmental Sciences Europe noted, studies needed to be conducted under actual reef conditions and realistic sunscreen concentrations.

I am happy to continue wearing reef safe sunscreen until we know more, but I also understand the current studies are not conclusive.

If I’m being completely honest, I don’t care for reef safe sunscreens.

Despite generous application, I burn faster when using reef safe sunscreens. So FREQUENT application is very important.

What’s the solution?

Sun shirts + swim leggings! They protect you, and they protect the reef.

Coolibar and Tuga are some of my favorite brands for sun protective shirts. I wear them on all snorkeling adventures.

Then all you need is a little reef safe sunscreen on the back of the neck, ears, face, and hands (but now I’ve started to wear sun gloves!). My feet are already covered with dive booties because I wear open-heel snorkeling fins.

Plus, significantly less sunscreen is washing off in the ocean when I wear sun shirts and leggings. Win-win.

In summary, sun protective clothing is the “BEST SUNSCREEN” for the reef.

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