The sunscreen filters banned for coral show no proven harm to humans
Oxybenzone and octinoxate were banned in Hawaii and Key West over their effects on marine ecosystems. Across 29 human studies, their absorption showed no confirmed effect on fertility, reproductive hormones, fetal growth or child development, though a handful of signals still need checking.
For you: No reason here to bin a chemical sunscreen over health fears: the bans were about reefs, and confirmed harm to humans has not been shown.
What it shows: Reassuring but not a clean bill of health: a sweep of 29 human studies found no proven harm, yet a few possible links, including thyroid hormone and testosterone, had too few or conflicting studies to settle. No long-term trial has tested these ingredients directly, so the question is open rather than closed.Systematic review · Int J Dermatol