I started freediving and quickly noticed something: while travel-diving, local regulations at different destinations made me realize I had no idea what was in the sunscreen I wore into the ocean. So I started reading labels. Here's what I found.
"Reef-safe" isn't a regulated term
Anyone can print it on a bottle. Experts have urged tighter regulation of the label, noting that many products carrying it don't come with real evidence behind the claim. The ingredient list tells you more than the front of the bottle.
What to look for, and what to skip
Skip oxybenzone and octinoxate. Hawaii, for example, made selling sunscreens with these two ingredients illegal in 2021, and lab research has linked oxybenzone to deformities, bleaching, and DNA damage in coral larvae.
Look for mineral filters. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide sit on top of your skin and block UV, rather than being absorbed. In an FDA-run study, chemical-base sunscreens including oxybenzone entered the bloodstream at levels above the agency's testing threshold. This doesn’t necessarily mean hard for chemical-based sunscreen users. The effects are simply unknown.
My Opinion. It’s better to make the safer choice. One person wearing a reef safe sunscreen won’t automatically brighten every coral reef in the ocean, but it helps reduce the effects of our rising ocean temperatures that are frying our reefs. Let’s face it- ocean wildlife can use all the help it can get. So while mineral isn't an automatic guarantee, it’s by far the safer choice for both users and the ocean, with the most backed research behind it.
Why it's so hard to find one you'll wear
Here's the practical problem: many reef-friendly sunscreens feel the same. They’re thick, chalky, hard to rub in, and have a visible white film. So people skip them, or use them once and go back to the sunscreen they like.
The best sunscreen for the ocean is the one you'll actually put on and feel good wearing. I’ve spent over $50 on a 3oz bottle of “sheer, reef-safe sunscreen” - only for it to yield a horrendous white cast and leak into the eyes when wet. I am yet to understand why a reef safe sunscreen isn’t able to set and stay out of my eyes. Isn’t reef-safe meant to be water resistant?
What I wanted instead
That's why we carry SPOOGE. It's a mineral sunscreen developed by a dermatologist, with skincare ingredients in the formula, so it's something you can wear every day and into the water. SPOOGE created formulas merging every gap I saw in the mineral SPF market:
- Sets on your skin and it won’t budge after a swim
- Sheer formulas that don't leave a white cast
- Tinted options
- Mineral shimmer options for glow
- Added Skincare ingredients like Aloe, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Hyaluronic Acid, and Bisabolo
- Complies with Hawaiian reef-safe regulations and other destinations
- Dermatologist developed and tested
- SPF 30 to 50 so you can choose your coverage
Click here to shop the SPOOGE collection at Tide and Two Co.
Quick tips that work with any sunscreen
- Apply about 15 minutes before getting in the water so it has time to dry
- Reapply after swimming or sweating, and every two hours otherwise - for safe measures
- Cover up with a rash guard, hat, or long sleeves. It's the most reliable protection, and it means less product in the water.
- Don't apply at the water's edge, where it rinses off right away
In short
Ignore the front of the bottle and read the back. Skip oxybenzone and octinoxate, choose a mineral formula, and pick something you enjoy wearing so you'll use it daily