Pacific beachgoers face sunscreen bans for coral conservation

Hawaii and Palau enact prohibitions, though some question the harm

20190819N Hawaii beach

 Oxybenzone and octinoxate found in some sunscreens are said by some to harm coral. © Kyodo

FUMI MATSUMOTO, Nikkei staff writer

SYDNEY -- Tourists visiting tropical coral reefs are getting burned by restrictions against sunscreens.

Starting in 2021, the U.S. state of Hawaii will bar the use of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate, which are thought to be harmful to coral reefs. More than 3,500 types of sunscreens sold by major producers contain those chemicals, meaning the law will have a far-reaching impact on travelers.

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