Vacations without Creams with Chemical UV Filters? Several Countries around the World Have Declared War on Them
When you go on vacation, you usually put sunscreen creams in your makeup bag. However, once you get to many paradise islands, cosmetics can be requisitioned as many countries have started to ban chemical sunscreen creams.
Chemical sunscreen ban vs. vanishing coral reefs
When deciding on a vacation, most people look for a fabulous place with a sandy beach and turquoise ocean or sea. There are plenty of such paradise places in the world. However, some of them have banned the use of creams with chemical sunscreens. The reason? These cosmetics contain ingredients that contribute to the death and fading of coral reefs (corals get rid of algae that are responsible for their color and give them the energy they need to survive). The culprits include octocrylene, benzophenone, oxybenzone, octinoxate, octocarboxyl and others.
Harmful chemical sunscreens
As it turned out, about 14,000 tons of sunscreen accumulate in the oceans every year. And in 2017, the famous Jellyfish Lake (island of Palau) so many harmful substances from sunscreens were present that the population of jellyfish significantly decreased. Out of concern for the ecosystem and coral reefs, some countries have banned the use and import of creams with chemical sunscreens. Unauthorized cosmetics will be confiscated at airports.
Where can you not use creams with chemical UV filters?
- Aruba,
- Hawaii,
- Palau,
- Virgin Islands,
- Selected Mexican resorts (Xcaret, Xel-Ha, Chankanaab Beach amusement park on Cozumel Island),
- Marshall Islands.
Go for mineral filters
So what can replace traditional sunscreen creams? Of course, in stores you should look for cosmetics with mineral filters (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide). They are undoubtedly less toxic to coral reefs and living organisms and do not cause allergic reactions, either.
Stay aware during holidays
Before you go on your dream vacation, be sure to check the information on the use of sunscreen. You can do this on the official websites of the country, in the travel agency organizing the trip and, of course, your embassy operating in the area where you are going. It is certainly a safe solution not to take creams from your home country, and buy the right ones already on the spot. First of all, many resorts conduct intensive information campaigns to raise awareness of tourists and sensitize them to the dangers facing the oceans and seas. Because if the coral reefs die, then all the underwater life will also disappear.
