It’s about time. It has been very difficult to find sunscreen without all those ingredients. Four years ago, it took me three different shops to finally find some sunscreen without those ingredients while I visited Maui. This past summer, it was the same thing. I was finally more educated on what to look for but it was still a hassle finding sunscreen without those chemicals. I told the husband that one would think they would prohibit stores from selling them so that they’d be force to carry more environmentally friendly sunscreen.
Before my family went to Maui last year for my daughter’s wedding I read about the damaging sunscreen. I read that visitors weren’t prohibited from taking and using the offending sunscreen, but I still made sure none of us packed a bottle of it. Not at all a hard decision.
I don’t have a problem with what they are trying to do, but it just seems like another unenforceable law. Unless they search every piece of luggage coming into the airport and make the airlines put the information in the booking process, how in the world can it be enforced? I’d venture to say that less than 1% of visitors will have any knowledge of the law.
What the visiting public could Really use is a list of brand names containing these chemicals so they will know what Not to buy. Right now this just serves to scare folks who don’t know if what they bought is illegal or not.
Better still, hope the brands start to advertise “Safe For Hawaii Laws”
I researched and brought reef safe sunscreen with me to Maui on my last trip. Trader Joes was shocked that I had to return their sunscreen as it wasn’t safe. Save the islands!!
So what did you find? We’ve used Blue Lizard for years and the only “chemical” is Octisalate which is indeed a chemical. They claim Sun Bum is “chemical free” but the only time I deviated from Blue Lizard and used Sun Bum, I got a melanoma that had to have Mose surgery. Feel like I can’t win!
The only problem is that the fine is too low.
How about a fine for leaving their trash all over the place, too? And acting like entitled children they way a lot of them do.
I realize there are some very respectful visitors, but there are far too many who are there just to party, get a selfie to post on the internet, and check a box to say they’ve been to Hawai’i. We don’t need them at all.
Who would oppose this? Our reefs are fragile and dying at an alarming rate.
I agree with this law and the consequences. I heard Mexico doesn’t have the same ban….
It’s about time. It has been very difficult to find sunscreen without all those ingredients. Four years ago, it took me three different shops to finally find some sunscreen without those ingredients while I visited Maui. This past summer, it was the same thing. I was finally more educated on what to look for but it was still a hassle finding sunscreen without those chemicals. I told the husband that one would think they would prohibit stores from selling them so that they’d be force to carry more environmentally friendly sunscreen.
I’m ok with this. Need to keep Hawaii and it’s waters beautiful for generations to come
Sooooo – what Can you use as a sunscreen? Did I miss that in the article?
Before my family went to Maui last year for my daughter’s wedding I read about the damaging sunscreen. I read that visitors weren’t prohibited from taking and using the offending sunscreen, but I still made sure none of us packed a bottle of it. Not at all a hard decision.
I don’t have a problem with what they are trying to do, but it just seems like another unenforceable law. Unless they search every piece of luggage coming into the airport and make the airlines put the information in the booking process, how in the world can it be enforced? I’d venture to say that less than 1% of visitors will have any knowledge of the law.
Mahalo, BOH!
What the visiting public could Really use is a list of brand names containing these chemicals so they will know what Not to buy. Right now this just serves to scare folks who don’t know if what they bought is illegal or not.
Better still, hope the brands start to advertise “Safe For Hawaii Laws”
Here one list from Hawaii:
hawaii.com/travel-info/reef-safe-sunscreen/
I researched and brought reef safe sunscreen with me to Maui on my last trip. Trader Joes was shocked that I had to return their sunscreen as it wasn’t safe. Save the islands!!
So what did you find? We’ve used Blue Lizard for years and the only “chemical” is Octisalate which is indeed a chemical. They claim Sun Bum is “chemical free” but the only time I deviated from Blue Lizard and used Sun Bum, I got a melanoma that had to have Mose surgery. Feel like I can’t win!
The only problem is that the fine is too low.
How about a fine for leaving their trash all over the place, too? And acting like entitled children they way a lot of them do.
I realize there are some very respectful visitors, but there are far too many who are there just to party, get a selfie to post on the internet, and check a box to say they’ve been to Hawai’i. We don’t need them at all.