Japanese cosmetics company Kao is relaunching its sun care brand Allie with a new range of reef-safe products to adapt to the new sunscreen regulations recently implemented in Thailand, Hawaii, and Palau.
The recent restrictions are a response to a decline in coral health. Coral reefs worldwide have been stressed to the point of turning white, or “bleaching,” which occurs when they expel the algae that live in them.
Scientists often cite rising temperature in oceans because of climate change as the main culprit, but other studies show that chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate also cause coral damage and bleaching.
The new Chrono Beauty range, said the company, is designed to be reef-safe, formulated without chemicals common to sunscreen products such as oxybenzone and octinoxate that some studies claim to be harmful to coral reefs.
In a 2016 study, a team of international scientists found that a common chemical in many sunscreen lotions and cosmetics is highly toxic to juvenile corals and other marine life. Oxybenzone, or BP-3, is found in more than 3500 skincare products worldwide for protection against the sun’s harmful effects.
Aside from formulating the new sunscreen range to be reef-safe, it is also developed with additional properties to address concerns from the recent pandemic. For example, the products are made “mask-friendly” with non-sticky, friction-proof, and waterproof.
The packaging has also been updated to use environmentally friendly materials such as paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and biodegradable plant-based plastic.
In addition, the company said it would carry out environmental conservation activities such as a recycling programme and donate part of its product sales to environmental conservation groups.
The new Chrono Beauty range will launch in February, beginning in Japan, and rolled out to other countries, including Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, and a 2024 launch in China (reason undisclosed).
Further reading: SunButter sunscreen helps protect endangered coral reefs.
