Hawaii Passes Bill Banning Chemicals Found in SunscreenOxybenzone and octinoxate are said to have harmful effects on coral reefs.

[Collection]Hawaii lawmakers have passed a bill banning two chemicals commonly found in sunscreen on Tuesday. The bill is expected to be signed by Gov. David Ige and will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2021. Oxybenzone and octinoxate, chemical ingredients found in most over-the-counter sunscreen, are said to have harmful effects on coral reefs and other marine organisms. According to the legislature, the chemicals “degrade corals’ resiliency and ability to adjust to climate change factors and inhibit recruitment of new corals.” “Sunscreens play a critical role as part of a safe sun regimen in the fight against skin cancer,” said Alexandra Kowcz, chief scientist at the Personal Care Products Council. “We appreciate the opportunity to work with legislators in Hawaii and all interested stakeholders who came together to address the issue of sunscreens and the coral reef. Because science serves as the foundation for everything that we do, we remain concerned that policy decisions to restrict the use of sunscreen products with FDA approved sunscreen ingredients, oxybenzone and octinoxate, are based on a limited body of scientific research from which concrete conclusions cannot be drawn.” While this is the first bill of its kind, there has been increasing efforts to regulate the beauty

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