We started Solmates Australia because we wanted to be more sustainable with our sun care regime and there are a lot of things to consider when trying to be more sustainable in your sun care choices. Here are some that we like and try to follow:
1. Choose reef safe sunscreens
There is a lot of research around how sunscreen affects our water and beautiful reefs, and to be honest it’s really hard to get a definite answer on what is and isn’t reef safe. What most research agrees on though is that we should steer clear of any sunscreen that contains the chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate. These chemicals have the potential to bleach coral reefs, causing them to deteriorate and subsequently, destroy their ecosystems.
2. Buy sunscreens with good water resistance
Sunscreens with good water resistance not only ensure our skin is better protected while out in the ocean, they will also reduce the amount of sunscreen that gets left in the ocean.
3. Avoid sunscreen aerosols
Sunscreen that comes in aerosols is more likely to end up in the water and get released into the atmosphere. (Plus they have been reported to not be as effective as sunscreen we rub in - and can end up quite costly!)
4. Ensure sunscreen is cruelty-free
Look for sunscreen that has not been tested on animals. There are also vegan friendly sunscreens available that are formulated without any animal products or byproducts, such as beeswax, lanolin, and collagen.
5. Sustainable sunware
We all know that keeping ourselves covered in the sun is a really great way to protect our skin. There are now many swim labels using recycled materials to create their clothing and hats. Plus some amazing sunglasses out there using sustainable materials too.
6. Buy your sunscreen in bulk
There are some great sustainable options when it comes to sunscreen packaging - however, we found the most convenient and affordable way for us to be more environmentally friendly is to buy in bulk and use a refillable container … ahem …. such as a Solmate! Ok, this might seem like a shameless plug now, but that's exactly why we designed and created the Solmate - to reduce the amount of small single use plastic bottles we were using. Buy in bulk, reduce the plastic and reduce the cost.
