PARIS, June 26 — Finding a sunscreen without any undesirable ingredients for the skin, the environment and the oceans is no easy task. In recent years, however, many brands have been working hard to improve their formulas and offer products that are as effective as they are clean and respectful of the planet. Here’s a look at some of the latest innovations to keep vacationers protected with greater peace of mind.

If there’s one thing you shouldn’t skimp on, it’s sun protection. Before setting off on vacation, it’s essential to purchase several bottles of sunscreen to protect yourself from the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays. In fact, more than 80 per cent of skin cancers are linked to excessive sun exposure, according to the French national public health agency, Santé Psublique France, which each year reminds vacationers of the importance of taking the right steps to enjoy the sun safely. These include seeking shade, covering up with clothing, sunglasses and a hat, as well as opting for the best possible sun protection according to your skin type and sun exposure conditions. Added to this is consumers’ desire to buy more natural products, or those that are less harmful to their health, and that will not contribute to polluting the sea.

A more natural approach

Many brands have developed new formulas to meet these customer demands, banning controversial ingredients and filters — whether to minimum levels or outrightly — and relying more often than not on mineral sunscreens. These are based on titanium dioxide and zinc oxide reduced to powder form and are considered less harmful to skin. Such is the case with the French natural sun protection brand SeventyOne Percent, whose bestseller Eco Sun Spray Invisible uses 100 per cent mineral filters to ward off UVA and UVB rays. Suitable for adults and children alike, it is enriched with organic jojoba, sunflower and buriti vegetable oils to provide additional skin benefits. It’s a vegan alternative that’s made in France, and which also strives to respect the oceans.

In fact, mineral filters have (almost) become the norm today, or at least are an integral part of many brands’ product ranges. And where this is not the case, sunscreens are now guaranteed to be free of organic octocrylene sunscreens, a compound that has been called into question by researchers. Bioregena, Korres, La Biosthétique and Praïa are just some of the brands now offering formulas with a limited list of ingredients that are as natural and clean as possible.

Environmentally mindful

The chemical compounds present in some sunscreens are also proving harmful to coral reefs, and therefore to biodiversity. This observation has prompted the authorities in certain countries to ban sunscreens deemed toxic for the reefs — as in Hawaii and the Palau archipelago, for example. Since then, brands have been reinventing to offer products that are less harmful to the planet, following the example of Laboratoires de Biarritz, whose Alga Maris organic range aims to be non-toxic for marine ecosystems, as well as numerous brands — including those mentioned above — that are already focusing on more natural formulas.

Others, such as Biotherm with its Waterlover range, Garnier Ambre Solaire and its eco-designed lotions, or Biosolis and its many organic and natural suncare products, are focusing on biodegradable formulas, with a minimum of 90 per cent biodegradability. Let’s face it, no sunscreen today can guarantee to be good for coral reefs, but opting for natural and/or biodegradable formulas can minimise your impact on the planet.

Free sunscreen?

Every year, France’s health professionals and authorities issue reminders of the importance of protecting yourself from ultraviolet rays. This is essential, given that nearly 100,000 skin cancer cases are detected each year — a number that has more than tripled in almost four decades, according to the Institut National du Cancer (INCa). And France is not the only country where this increase is a cause for concern. In fact, it’s what recently prompted the Dutch authorities to install sun protection dispensers in strategic locations — schools, festivals, parks — to enable residents to slather on sunscreen free of charge whenever sunny conditions require, according to the Dutch News media outlet. — ETX Studio