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Over the past three decades, the Great Barrier Reef has lost over half of its population of marine species and the reef’s coral cover has dropped from 28% to 13.8%.
And to top all of this off? It is estimated that over 50% of this damage is caused by human influence.
Globally we deposit almost 14,000 tonnes of sunscreen into the ocean each year. Most alarmingly the chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate which are found in approximately 2 in 5 Aussie sunscreens are one of the main causes of coral bleaching.
The Great Barrier Reef is home to more than 600 types of hard and soft coral and is home to 10% of the world’s fish species. Coral is a crucial element to the ocean's ecosystem, it not only provides a sanctuary and food for thousands of marine species but also protects the shoreline.
Australia has one of the highest skin cancer rates in the world, and going outdoors into the harsh Australian sun without sunscreen is just asking for trouble. So here the issue lies. Australians are exceedingly better at ‘slip, slopping and slapping’ than 30 years ago but the Great Barrier Reef is rapidly deteriorating. If there is no education or messaging around reef-safe sunscreen then how are consumers to know that every time they jump into the water it is jeopardising our future?
Do your bit to help save the Great Barrier Reef and apply a reef-safe sunscreen next time you head to the beach.
Little Urchin sunscreen is formulated using natural* products that aren’t harmful to our reefs or you and your family. It’s chemical-free, zinc-based and is not only toxin-free but reef approved.
* Little Urchin uses the term ‘natural’ because the ingredients in our products are ones found in nature that are unharmful to the body and used in their natural form or are refined, purified or transformed in the laboratory from sources in nature. The refinement, purification and transformation processes of certain ingredients are chemical processes required to make the underlying, natural ingredients suitable for use in a sunscreen or moisturiser product. These processes do not involve the use of synthetic chemicals.
