Hawaii Gov. David Ige is expected this week to sign the world’s first ban on the sale of sunscreens containing the chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate. The state is banning the products because of concerns they may be harming one of the state’s biggest attractions — coral reefs.
While it doesn’t kick in until 2021, the move is already prompting pushback.
That’s because up to 70 percent of sunscreens on the U.S. market contain oxybenzone, according to the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, which represents sunscreen-makers. Up to 8 percent contain octinoxate, which often shows up on labels as octyl methoxycinnamate.
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