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MAUI (KHON2) – Maui County banned the sale, distribution, and / or use of non-mineral sunscreens effective October 1, 2022. This means that only mineral sunscreens that use zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are allowed.
On December 6th, Maui’s Mayor Michael Victorino signed Invoice 135 into a law that was then enacted as Maui County Ordinance 5306.
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According to officials, Ordinance 5306 recognizes that many chemicals in non-mineral sunscreens have been shown to threaten the health of coastal waters, coral reefs and other marine animals.
Mayor Victorino thanked Maui County Council for passing this “important bill.” He also thanked Councilor Kelly King, chair of the Council’s Committee on Climate Change, Resilience and the Environment, for introducing Bill 135.
King said Ordinance 5306 was part of the larger goal of moving Hawaii’s tourism industry to become more environmentally sustainable and less harmful to the islands’ biodiversity.
“There is a growing movement of skin care and beauty product companies looking to make a positive impact on the planet. This new law supports this movement towards conscious consumption by removing harmful products from the local market and encouraging consumers to opt for truly reef-safe mineral sunscreens. “
Councilor Kelly King, Chair of the Climate Action, Resilience and Environment Committee
There are 16 active ingredients that are used as UV filters in sun protection products. Non-mineral sunscreens – including chemical sunscreens – use chemicals like octinoxate, octocrylene, and oxybenzone. Mineral sunscreens use zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
Of the 16 ingredients, officials reported that only zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are “generally recognized as safe and effective (GRASE)” by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
In January 2021, the state also banned it all sunscreens that contain oxybenzone and octinoxate.
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