Sunscreens and Our Coral Reefs
As scuba divers and ocean lovers we are constantly in the sun trying to avoid that sunburn and the terrible diver tan lines. We slather on sunscreen over and over again without thinking. But what if I told you that the sunscreens we are using are actually damaging our beautiful coral reefs? Would you still wear them?
Knowing that I was going to be in the sun constantly this summer and diving as much as possible, I didn’t want to wear sunscreen that could destroy my favourite dive sites. I decided to do a little research on what chemicals in typical sunscreens are causing the damage (Oxybenzone!), and then sought to find sunscreens that were natural and avoided these ingredients. I ended up with 5 to test, and as I try each one I will be reviewing it based on my experience.
Maui Surfer Honey SPF 30
The first sunscreen I decided to try was the Maui Surfer Honey SPF 30, not for any particular reason other than I liked the sound of it. The bottle is simple, just white with a sticker placed on it. The bottle felt nice and fit perfectly in my dive bag, with just the right handling shape, and no risk of it ending up all over my gear because the bottle was quite rigid.
This sunscreen smelt wonderful! It had my whole family smelling it trying to figure out the scent..someone said I smelt like cupcake frosting! Not bad in my opinion. The actual scent of the lotion is creamsicle (orange and vanilla). Although the smell was nice, it wasn’t overbearing and over powerful. It was just enough to make it nice to be wearing, but not distracting, and it didn’t seem to attract the pesky mosquitos and flies!
The lotion is quite thick, which worried me when I first went to put it on. I didn’t want to be coated in white. The company recommend applying the sunscreen to damp skin – not wet, but not bone dry. When I put it on however, it rubbed into the skin nicely, but it still felt like I had an invisible protective layer against the sun. I hadn’t even been in the sun yet, and I was already hopeful for this sunscreen to work wonders.
I burn quite easily, especially after a day on a dive boat, so this would be the true test for me. Maui Surfer Honey SPF 30 was great! I put it on in the morning before heading off to the boat, and I sat in the sun on the ride out to the dive site (about 1 hour). When I surfaced from my first dive, I dried off and reapplied (waterproof for 80 minutes). During the surface interval I laid in the sun and didn’t feel myself burning, which can be said was a first.
After my second dive I didn’t reapply, thinking that I was wearing a t-shirt and board shorts so there wasn’t much need as I still seemed to have sunscreen on even after an hour dive, and I sat in the sun on the ride back to the dock. Normally when I arrive back after a dive my family expects to see me bright pink, but this time they were shocked that not only was I not bright pink, but I wasn’t even slightly pink! No sunburn at all!
I continued to wear the Maui Surfer Honey sunscreen for a week and I have to say I really love it. I honestly cannot find a fault with this sunscreen!
Note: I also applied this sunscreen to my face, which I was nervous about because so many sunscreen cause me to breakout (not a good summer look!) but because the sunscreen is made from all natural ingredients, I continued to have clear skin!
