Malcolm Rands: Green sunscreen

Green sun safety  
With the high temperatures of the past week, we've all been flocking to the beach. But what are the most environmentally-friendly ways to keep sun safe at the beach? First off, stay out of the sun between 10am-4pm, September to April. The beach is wonderful early in the morning or late afternoon. 
If you’re at the beach outside of these times, sun shades you put up are a good idea. Make sure you get a good one, not a cheap throw away.  If you need more protection, you'll be slapping on the sunscreen. But which kind? There are two varieties: chemical and physical. Chemical sunscreen absorbs UV light to prevent it from causing damage. But the chemicals; like oxybenzone, octinoxate, octocrylene, octisalate, avobenzone and homosalate, have been identified as being particularly dangerous for eco-systems. There's evidence they have been making coral more susceptible to bleaching, deforming baby coral and degrading its resilience to climate change. Hawaii is now looking at banning these chemicals. They are also proven hormone disrupters that can seep through human and animal skin into other bodily tissue.  And it’s not just the environment: Oxybenzone was recently found in 96 per cent of the population by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the US. That’s an alarming statistic when you learn that this chemical can affect a man’s sperm count and contribute to the development of painful endometriosis in women.  So you might like to consider physical sunscreen, which sits on top of the skin, using the minerals titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.  The Cancer Society says whether it’s a chemical or physical sunscreen, check the sunscreen you’re using does the job it’s meant to do. It needs to be broad-spectrum (which protects from UVA and UVB rays), water-resistant, SPF30+ and meet the Australia-New Zealand standard. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVE

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