SunButter Skin Care is quickly becoming one of Australia’s biggest known reef safe, eco-friendly sunscreen companies. Establishing in 2016, marine biologist and conservation ecologist team Sacha Guggenheimer and Tom Hiney first started learning about the negative impacts of chemical sunscreens on our oceans. In particular the impact on coral reefs, when they were working on the Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia.
Their product was born from the need to not only wear sunscreen whilst swimming with whale sharks, but also to stand by their passion of protecting the World Heritage site of Ningaloo Reef. With this in mind they began to develop a high quality, eco-friendly sunscreen. Creating a formula that possessed the highest sun protection possible for their active outdoor lifestyle (SPF50). Besides, this is not going to compromise their skin with damaging chemicals and therefore lead to having adverse effects on marine and coral life.
Is sunscreen adding to the destruction of our coral reefs and environment?
Australia’s first SPF50 in a tin Natural Reef Safe Sunscreen & Surf Zincs Protecting People and Our Oceans . 10% of Profits go to the Planet Carbon Neutral
Reef Safe Sunscreen
Back in 2016, the SunButter sunblock was handmade specifically for whale shark guides, underwater photographers, divers, and fisherman of the Ningaloo Reef. Since then, however, they’ve been able to expand their brand from this. This results in the creation of their SPF50, 4 hours water resistant, reef safe sunscreen. Approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration and available to us as consumers since August 2019. HURRAY!
This is such an amazing feat by them and a great step forward in marine conservation as we collectively continue to bring to light and educate our friends and families on how small everyday things like this can have such a negative impact on our beloved oceans, and how easy it is to fix.
Further proving this, their company mantra is: “Protecting People & Oceans.”
There is so much effort and social media focus on protecting ourselves. Let’s extend that and concern ourselves with protecting our oceans and marine life at the same time.
So let’s have a look at what’s in your everyday sunscreen brands and let’s see what chemicals are harming our oceans. That way, we can learn what to avoid and what to look for when buying sunscreen.
OXYBENZONE
This is one of the key ingredients in most chemical sunscreens. It’s a synthetic molecule widely known to be toxic to corals, algae, sea urchins, fish and mammals. Moreover, a single drop of this chemical compound in more than 4 million gallons of water is enough to place our oceans and living organisms in danger.
Oxybenzone is unfortunately found in over 3500 sunscreen products worldwide.
BUTYLPARABEN
This is a preservative ingredient that can cause coral bleaching, and therefore disrupt and endanger our ecosystems.
Information from an International journal of science, shared data on how within just 18-48 hours, symbiotic algae had detached from coral nubbins and showed evidence of being affected by a latent infection, narrowed down to have been activated by sunscreen. Even more of an surprise: the same infection is found in corals all over the world. 
SunButter Skin Care is an amazing brand doing everything they can to promote and counteract the issues presented by ‘regular’ sunscreens. They make their products with sustainable ingredients and broad spectrum UVA and UVB mineral blocker zinc oxide, which has superior and nurturing qualities for all skin types.
Need more convincing? Here’s why you should choose reef safe, eco-friendly sunscreen.
I think it’s safe to say that we all understand our oceans are constantly under threat from pollution and many sunscreens are big contributors to that. Of course it is not the only thing, but it is something that each of us can personally control and put a stop to.
Whilst protecting your skin from harmful UV rays it is also killing our coral, causing toxic build-up in marine animal tissues and putting a huge strain on our oceans ecosystems.
Obviously I’m not going to stress that anyone doesn’t use eco-friendly sunscreen in order to prevent this. Merely understand that simply picking a more sustainable and marine friendly brand at the shops, is you standing up and choosing to protect yourself and the ocean – and I love that about you.
Sunscreen Cream.
Proudly made in Australia in a solar powered factory. SunButter Skin Care eco-friendly sunscreen is reef safe, has SPF50. No nanoparticles, no nano plastic particles. The sunscreen is registered and approved by the therapeutic goods administration. It’s vegan and most importantly – it rubs in clear! So you don’t need to worry about walking around like the ghost of past marine life.
Ecobuy’s very own Sofi Beker was able to get her hands on their SunBetter’s Reef Safe sunscreen. Here are her thoughts;
“I absolutely loved their product. I’m a big fan of the plastic free packaging and the fact that it’s not too oily and easy to apply. It is quite a novelty to have the product in a tin but it is actually great. I wasn’t worried about it getting squashed in my bag or leaking out everywhere. (Been there). I tried the Everyday SPF50 Reef Safe, which of course has no nanoparticles, no sunspheres and is a vegan formula. Their SPF is safe for all skin types, including babies! I have a sensitive skin so I also really loved that.
I smeared a pea sized amount onto my face and scooped a little more onto my body just before heading out the door on my way to the beach for a swim. And.. I came home without being burnt and without feeling caked in cream. Bloody Loved it.”
Share this information with your flatmates, your friends, your families, start a conversation! Let’s support each other and create conversations. We can help educate one another on how we can better protect ourselves, our oceans and our planet.
