Do you ever wonder, as you slap on the sun cream to go for a dip, what impact this will have on the ocean?
Well, here at Aptonia, this is something we think about every time we dive because protecting our natural playground is our priority. New regulations are being put in place regarding the environmental impact of sunscreen and we wanted to tell you more about our commitments.
These new regulations are being put in place on the other side of the world. The Hawaiian underwater ecosystem is one of the most threatened on the planet because of the large number of tourists who visit each year. In order to protect it, the state of Hawaii has decided to ban the use of certain chemical substances found in sunscreen, and has passed the Hawaii law, which will come into force on 1 January 2021.
This law lists chemical substances such as oxybenzone and octinoxate, both are often found in sunscreens, and which may damage or destroy coral: these anti-UV substances cause discolouration and deformation of the coral, modifying its DNA and eventually destroying it.
Therefore, it will be no longer possible to bathe in the turquoise Hawaiian waters if you have used a sunscreen containing oxybenzone and octinoxate. Don't say we didn't warn you!
So, what about the Aptonia sunscreen range?
Well, 100% of our sun creams and sprays are compliant with the Hawaii law and have been validated by a toxicologist. You won't have to think twice before taking them with you on your next Hawaiian holidays...or any other sea or ocean on the planet for that matter!
In order to back up the confirmation that our products comply with the Hawaii law and to make doubly sure that we are doing everything we can to protect the ocean, we decided to carry out tests to find out the real impact of our sun creams on algae and coral. To do so, we asked an independent laboratory for help. The tests were conducted in extreme conditions compared to the natural environment. This means that we put the organisms (algae and coral) into contact with high concentrations of sun cream, that is, in much larger concentrations than produced by swimmers. Thanks to the results we obtained, we are proud to say that our products have no effect on the coral and algae tested in the conditions described above. Our priority is to be able to offer you sun protection products that respect our natural playgrounds. We are proud that our sun protection products respect these first new regulations and we aim to always work within these and any future laws. Protecting your skin while protecting the environment!
For those who would like to know all the details, here we reveal how these tests were carried out:
Our test on the algae
In a sport such as triathlon, the swimming portion of the race can take place in both freshwater and saltwater environments. That's why we decided to test our creams on algae from both environments. Perhaps you'd like to know which algae? Get a pen and paper ready: Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata for freshwater and Phaedodactylum tricornutum for saltwater
The objective of the test was to determine the effects of our sun creams on the growth of these two types of algae. To do so, the algae were placed in tanks where they were exposed to our sun creams over 72 hours. All the algae were counted at the beginning and again at the end to see whether their growth had been affected.
The conclusion of the test showed that this was not the case and that, having been exposed to the concentrations of the sun creams we were testing, which were much higher than during real-life conditions, there was no effect on algae growth.
Our test on the coral
This test followed the same principle as for the algae:
Coral was put into contact with different concentrations of our Aptonia sun creams. 48 hours and then 96 hours after the start of the test, we observed the state of the coral to see whether it had blanched or changed in appearance. The results of this study, led under "extreme" conditions compared to the natural environment, mean we can say that the product does not pose any risk to the organisms tested.
These tests were standardised and carried out by an independent laboratory.