Other places, from Key West, Florida, to the U.S. In 2018, Hawaii became the first state to ban the sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate. One study published in the Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology in 2016, found that it “poses a hazard to coral reef conservation and threatens the resiliency of coral reefs to climate change.” The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association lists oxybenzone among ten chemicals found in sunscreen that “can harm marine life.” When the chemical is exposed to ultraviolet light, it can lead to coral bleaching. But, she emphasizes, “if you are concerned about oxybenzone for any reason, I recommend choosing a sunscreen without it.”Oxybenzone also has an impact on the health of the ocean, says Katie Day, environmental science and policy manager at the Surfrider Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on protecting beaches and water. “The FDA has reiterated that absorption does not equal risk and advises for the continued use of sunscreen while they work with industry to study the issue,” says Karen. However, the FDA continues to consider products with all of these chemicals safe. “While additional data are needed, results showed that all six active ingredients were absorbed into the body’s bloodstream-even after a single use,” the FDA wrote of the findings, and “once absorbed, these active ingredients can remain in the body for extended periods of time.” Other studies have shown that oxybenzone can affect hormone production, though many of those look at relatively high concentrations in rats. In a 2020 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, FDA researchers studied six active ingredients in chemical sunscreens-oxybenzone, avobenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, octisalate, and octinoxate-and found that the skin absorbed all of the chemicals at “concentrations that surpassed the FDA threshold for potentially waiving some of the additional safety studies for sunscreens,” the study authors wrote. “And it’s the one that’s been shown to have the most environmental effect.” Henry Lim, a dermatologist at the Henry Ford Medical Center and former president of the American Academy of Dermatology. “That is the one that is shown to have the most penetration,” says Dr. The chemical that has perhaps garnered the most attention is oxybenzone. But there are open questions about the human and environmental health impacts of chemical sunscreens. Many dermatologists say that the best sunscreen is the one people will tolerate and actually use. “The chemical sunscreens are much more elegant,” says Karen, though both can be effective at blocking short- and long-wave ultraviolet light.
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