Lotion in the ocean

The effects of sunscreen on the marine environment

Sunscreens are products that we use to protect our skin from the Sun’s ultraviolet rays, but many sunscreens are harmful to the marine environment. Marine researcher Anneliese Hodge explains how sunscreen chemicals can impact marine life, and how she performs experiments to understand these effects

Sunscreens come in many different applications, including lotions, sticks and sprays. Some of us use them daily in our moisturisers, and others use them only when it is sunny or on holidays. But have you ever questioned whether the ingredients in your sunscreen can harm the environment?

The main ingredients in sunscreens that are aimed to protect us from the Sun are called ultraviolet (UV) filters. These filters either block, absorb or reflect UV rays, and can be categorised into two groups: chemical and mineral (see Figure 1). An example of a popular chemical UV filter is oxybenzone, and a popular mineral UV filter is titanium dioxide.