Caribbean Solutions is the answer for folks worried about harming the coral reefs with the estimated 4,000 to 6,000 tons of sunscreen washing off swimmers annually. According to a study published in Environmental Health Perspectives in January, four of the common ingredients in regular sunscreens activate viruses that kill algae crucial to coral. Without the algae, the coral dies, and the estimate is that 10 percent of the world’s coral reefs are threatened by sunscreen-induced bleaching. Not surprisingly, a company has come up with a way to keep this from happening — Caribbean Solutions — but the bonus is that their products don’t contain bad-for-you petrochemicals, preservatives or artificial fragrances, and most of the other ingredients are botanically derived, including wild pansy, green coffee bean extract, hibiscus, sunflower and cucumber oils, while titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are what provide the barrier against UVA and UVB rays. They don’t feel greasy or make you break out. $16 for 6 ounces SPF 25, natural foods stores nationwide or caribbean-sol.com
. Kyle Wagner
