On Wednesday, Hawaiian lawmakers passed a bill banning the sale and distribution of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate, chemicals thought to be harmful to the ocean’s coral reefs. Oxybenzone and octinoxate are two of the most popular ingredients in chemical sunscreens ― that is, sunscreens that use chemicals as the active ingredient. Chemical sunscreens dominate the shelves at most drugstores and rely on a chemical reaction to protect skin from the sun’s rays. That got us thinking: If oxybenzone and octinoxate can cause harm to coral, what are they doing to our bodies? It should be noted that both oxybenzone and octinoxate are FDA-approved chemicals for providing protection against the sun’s rays.

Source: Huffington Post May 04, 2018 09:45 UTC