Hawaii's Reef-Safe Sunscreen Ban, Explained
In July 2018, Hawaii became the first US state to ban the sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate. Governor David Ige signed Senate Bill 2571 into law. The ban took effect on January 1, 2021.
The law is simple in scope but significant in precedent. It changed the sunscreen market and signaled to other jurisdictions that reef protection through cosmetic regulation was both possible and popular.
What the Law Says
The Hawaii sunscreen ban prohibits the sale or distribution of sunscreens containing oxybenzone (benzophenone-3) or octinoxate (ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate) without a valid medical prescription. A physician can still prescribe a sunscreen with these chemicals if they determine no adequate alternative exists for a specific patient.
The law applies only to over-the-counter sunscreens sold in Hawaii. It does not prohibit tourists from bringing banned sunscreens into the state. It does not apply to other cosmetic products that may contain these chemicals (some foundations and lip products contain UV filters).
Penalties for violations include fines, though enforcement has focused on retailer compliance rather than individual use.
Why These Two Chemicals
Oxybenzone and octinoxate are the two UV filters with the strongest documented evidence of coral harm. Oxybenzone causes DNA damage, endocrine disruption, and larval death in coral at concentrations as low as 62 parts per trillion. Octinoxate causes coral bleaching and disrupts algae photosynthesis at similarly low thresholds.
Hawaii’s coral reefs support over 7,000 marine species and generate approximately $33.6 billion annually in economic value through tourism, fisheries, and coastal protection. The reefs are already stressed by rising ocean temperatures and ocean acidification. Removing an additional chemical stressor was a defensible policy decision even with imperfect evidence about the relative contribution of sunscreen versus climate change.
Craig Downs, the marine biologist whose 2015 study quantified oxybenzone toxicity in coral, presented testimony during the legislative process. His data on oxybenzone’s effects was central to the bill’s passage.
Industry Response
The sunscreen industry initially opposed the ban. The Personal Care Products Council argued that the legislation was based on laboratory studies that did not reflect real-world conditions and that UV protection was a public health priority. Their concern: that banning effective UV filters would lead to increased skin cancer rates.
The counter-argument was straightforward. Mineral sunscreens containing zinc oxide and titanium dioxide provide equivalent UV protection without the marine toxicity. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends broad-spectrum SPF 30+, regardless of whether it is chemical or mineral.
After the law passed, the market responded quickly. Brands like Sun Bum, Coppertone, Neutrogena, and Hawaiian Tropic all released or expanded reef-safe product lines. Small brands that had already been mineral-only (Raw Elements, Badger, Thinksport) saw significant sales increases. The “reef-safe” category grew from a niche to a mainstream segment.
What Changed After the Ban
Retail surveys in Hawaii show near-complete compliance. Major retailers removed non-compliant products from shelves. Drugstores and ABC Stores (the ubiquitous tourist convenience chain in Hawaii) prominently display reef-safe options.
Tourism operators adapted too. Many snorkeling and diving companies now provide complimentary reef-safe sunscreen. Hotels stock mineral options. Some beaches post signs reminding visitors about reef-safe sunscreen.
Measuring the ecological impact is harder. Coral reef health is influenced by ocean temperature, acidification, sedimentation, overfishing, and pollution from many sources beyond sunscreen. Isolating the effect of reduced oxybenzone and octinoxate input requires long-term monitoring. Studies are ongoing but definitive results are likely years away.
What is clear: the ban reduced the volume of two documented toxins entering Hawaii’s reef systems. Whether that reduction is sufficient to reverse bleaching trends is a separate question from whether it was worth doing. It was.
Other Jurisdictions
Hawaii’s law triggered a cascade.
Palau enacted a broader ban in 2020, prohibiting sunscreens containing any of ten chemicals including oxybenzone, octinoxate, octocrylene, and several parabens. Palau’s reef system is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Key West, Florida banned the sale of sunscreens with oxybenzone and octinoxate in 2021. The state of Florida later passed a preemption law blocking local sunscreen bans, though Key West’s ban remains in a legal gray area.
US Virgin Islands banned the same two chemicals in 2020.
Bonaire, Aruba, and parts of Mexico (including some national marine parks) have enacted similar restrictions.
The European Union has not banned these chemicals outright but has placed concentration limits on oxybenzone (6% maximum in sunscreen formulations, down from 10%) and requires warning labels for products containing it above 0.5%.
What This Means for You
If you are visiting Hawaii or any jurisdiction with a sunscreen ban, switch to mineral sunscreen before you go. Do not wait until you arrive and pay resort prices. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide-based sunscreens are available at every major retailer and online.
Read our reef-safe sunscreen guide for specific ingredient recommendations and label-reading tips. The products exist. They work. The transition takes about as much effort as choosing a different bottle off the shelf.