This new legal victory will not fail to delight the defenders of the oceans amongst which The Smiling Seahorse :)
Please note however, that we will no longer tolerate these products on the boat, please check that your cosmetics, and in particular your sunscreen, do not contain any of the ingredients listed below before applying it to your body to enjoy the sundeck.
Fines can be as high as THB 100,000, which is currently about USD 3,000 (EUR 2,610.91).
What ingredients are banned by Thailand in sunscreens?
Reef-friendly alternatives are already available in Thailand and have long been sold on The Smiling Seahorse.
Oxybenzone
Oxybenzone is found in more than 3,500 sunscreen products worldwide and even remains commonly used in FDA-approved sunscreens labeled as "Reef friendly."
So take a good look at the ingredients in your cream.
Octinoxate (Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate)
4-Methylbenzylid Camphor (4MBC)
Butylparaben (butyl p-hydroxybenzoate)
Zinc oxide
We don't think about it enough, but using rash guards (also called "anti-UV tee-shirt", "top", "body" or "lycra"), are by far the best way to protect yourself from the sun without cream: cheaper because you only buy it once, a protection of +50SPF, they are light and flexible, and good news, we have a stock on board the Smiling Seahorse.
Coral reefs threatened by the use of certain components in our sunscreens
A real ecological disaster: It should be known that more than 50% of our corals have already disappeared since 1950.
Why are sunscreens so harmful for corals?
How to choose your sunscreen?
The results of sunscreen studies should also be taken seriously and if you plan to swim, scuba dive near coral reefs, you should use a coral reef friendly or reef safe sunscreen.
How do I know if a sunscreen is coral reef safe?
You really need to look at the ingredients listed to make sure they comply with this new Thai law.
If the sunscreen of your choice contains any of the ingredients listed in our article, it's best to choose a different one!
Congratulations: You've chosen an environmentally conscious operator!
- Reef-friendly sunscreens have been available on board for a long time, as well as "rashguards" that protect you from the sun without the need for any chemicals.
- We have also selected eco-friendly soap/ shampoo and hair conditioners for you to use in our ocean view showers (produced for luxury eco resorts in the Maldives).
- We use as much as possible organic detergents for the maintenance of the boat and the diving equipment (we rinse your wetsuits in bio detergent for example).
- Aluminum bottles are provided to limit the use of plastic bottles onboard and for many years after ....
What sunscreen do we recommend?
Locally produced, tested and approved by all our team, ReReef can be used by the whole family to get good reef friendly sun protection and can be bought online or onboard: https://rereef.co/product/40g-reef-safe-sunscreen-spf50/. |