2023-07-16 00:30:07
It is imperative to wear sunscreen to protect our bodies from the damaging rays of the sun, but this sunscreen often ends up in lakes and oceans, causing damage to marine life.
“Every year, around 14,000 tonnes of sunscreen spill into the seas, through bathing and showering. As a result, 82,000 chemicals from personal care products may be present in the oceans,” reads the website of the Association pour la santé environnement du Québec/Environmental Health Association of Quebec (ASEC-EHAQ) .
Several studies have also proven that the harmful components contained in sunscreen might harm the health of marine animals, particularly that of corals by accelerating their bleaching.
Here are some tips to protect yourself, while protecting nature:
1. Cover up
By covering up, you can reduce the amount of exposed skin and therefore the amount of sunscreen used.
2. Avoid aerosols
Aerosols cause much of the sunscreen to fall onto the ground or into the air, spreading easily into waterways.
3. Check the components
Be sure to avoid oxybenzone and octinoxate, the most notorious chemicals that harm the environment. Instead, choose mineral sunscreens that use “non-nano” zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Don’t be fooled by a “reef safe” label, the term is currently unregulated.
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#Sunscreen #Heres #protect #skin #preserving #oceans
