14,000 tons of sunscreen wash off us and into our oceans every year.

The problem? Over 80% of sunscreens contain chemicals that bleach and kill coral. Scientists estimate that if we don’t make sustainable changes 90% of the world’s reefs could be functionally extinct by 2030.

Reef Relief is the world’s first sunscreen that’s not only reef-safe (harmful chemicals removed) it actively feeds and nourishes coral. No sunscreen has ever done this, and no skincare product proven to be as beneficial to coral as Reef Relief. We’ve also created a whole new certification/classification marque – not just SPF, but RPF.

Coral reefs are one of our most important ecosystems, supporting more than 25% of marine life and one billion people worldwide. Our reefs are estimated to have a total global value of £6 trillion per year, because of their provision of food and medicine, contribution to tourism and the coastal protection they provide.

We know that coral reefs are under serious threat from climate change and pollution. But another danger to coral is the sunscreen we wear. While it protects us, when it washes off us in the sea it can be lethal to coral. Over 80% of sunscreens contain chemicals known to bleach and kill coral reefs, such as Oxybenzone, Benzophenone-1, Benzophenone-8, OD-PABA, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor, 3-Benzylidene camphor, nano-Titanium dioxide, nano-Zinc oxide, Octinoxate and Octocrylene.

While a few, non-mainstream sunscreens have removed harmful chemicals, calling themselves ‘reef-safe’, we saw an opportunity to do much more. So we turned one of coral's biggest threats into its solution.

Reef Relief is the world’s first sunscreen that feeds and nourishes coral.

We approached Stream2Sea with our idea as they’re a world-leader in ‘reef-safe’ products. And working with leading marine scientists and cosmetic technicians, we formulated a unique and unprecedented product that removed all harmful chemicals, but also added a bespoke blend of nutrients that coral naturally feeds on.

Also, to address the issue of all other sunscreens that harm reefs, we created a whole new classification that hopefully one day all sunscreens will have to carry – RPF, or Reef Protection Factor.

We first focused on addressing the negative influences of the sunscreen industry, with so many brands mass-producing sunscreen with harmful chemicals and some brands falsely claiming to be reef-friendly. We discovered that very few brands could genuinely claim to be reef-safe. One of these brands was Stream2Sea who were already producing a high-quality sunscreen that didn’t cause damage to coral. We proposed to them that we could go much further and create something with the potential for real and lasting change.

In terms of regulation, we formulated Reef Relief to be ‘Haereticus Protect Land + Sea Certified’, and ensured that it was patch-tested by experts Bionok. We then went into 6 months of rigorous coral testing in association with the University of Derby, supervised by leading coral scientist and Marine Advisor to the United Nations, Professor Michael Sweet.

Our spend to date on the project is around £280K

Over 80% of sunscreen brands contain chemicals that bleach and kill coral. Only a few brands have removed harmful chemicals. Others falsely claim to be ‘reef-safe’. So we came up with an idea that could genuinely help turn the tide on coral bleaching.

Reef Relief is the world’s first sunscreen that’s not only reef-safe (with all harmful chemicals removed) – it’s proven to actually feed and nourish coral. No sunscreen has ever done this. We worked with Stream2Sea to create a new, fully reef-safe formula with an added unique blend of nutrients that coral naturally feeds on.

After a soft launch which saw huge global support, we extensively tested Reef Relief on coral, led by United Nations marine advisor Professor Michael Sweet. We have also created a whole new certification/classification marque that we hope someday all sunscreens will have to carry. Not just SPF, but RPF – Reef Protection Factor.

7th July 2021 – The idea of a coral-feeding sunscreen was conceived.

9th July 2021 – Sunscreen industry and coral reef research began.

7th November 2022 – Conversations initiated with Stream 2 Sea as formula creator and manufacturer client partner.

27th January 2023 – Unique coral nourishing formula created.

16th March 2023 - Sample formula products created.

4th April 2023 – Instagram page and microsite launched.

12th April 2023 – Sample formula products arrived from manufacturer.

22nd April 2023 – Packaging design finalised and produced.

28th April 2023 – Reef Relief soft launch in Eilat.

4th May 2023 - Global announcement of Reef Relief project.

1st August 2023 – Product testing on coral began at the University of Derby.

29th February 2024 – First round of University of Derby test results received.

11th March 2024 – Second round of University of Derby test results received.

2nd April 2024 – Bionok testing began.

3rd April 2024 – Patch testing began.

Reef Relief is the world’s first sunscreen designed and proven to promote healthy growth in coral. After it has been applied and has washed off the body into sea-water, it will help – rather than harm – coral. All potentially harmful chemicals that are normally found in most sunscreens have been removed. And – the real difference – a unique blend of nutrients that coral naturally feeds on has been added.

Our base formula is an eco-cert-compliant mineral-based sunscreen that has been tested and proven safe for freshwater fish, saltwater fish and coral larvae and has passed the stringent HEL Labs Protect Land + Sea Certification. We then added a bespoke, FDA-compliant trace mineral blend made from marine nutrients used by coral farmers to boost healthy growth.

We also created a new classification marque, RPF (Reef Protection Factor) with the ultimate aim of tourism boards and governments encouraging and eventually requiring sunscreens used on their coastlines to carry the RPF marque, regardless of the brand. This would ultimately mean not only that every sunscreen would be required to have removed harmful chemicals, but also that they contain our unique blend of coral-feeding nutrients.

Long-term outcomes:

We’re in talks with Australian, Egyptian and Vanuatuan government and tourism, to launch in their territories. We’re looking for as many global partners as possible to help the world’s reefs.

Scalability:

This is a hugely scalable idea and we’ve only just begun. With more support, PR and client partners over the coming months we hope to grow significantly. A big multiplier for scalability is the RPF marque, which can extend to all other sunscreen brands globally.

Industry Relevance:

Reef Relief is the world’s first sunscreen that feeds coral instead of harming it.

RPF is the first coral-related certification marque for sunscreens - vital because the term ‘reef-safe’ is highly unregulated in the industry.

Results:

University of Derby coral testing showed healthy growth by as high as 8% in some species.

In a 2-week soft launch:

583,671 Social interactions in first 48 hours

1.2 billion reach

711 publications worldwide.