Animal Health: coral is one of the world’s most vital living organisms. It's under threat from not only climate change and pollution, but ordinary sunscreen that washes off us and into the sea – over 14,00 tons every year.

Over 80% of sunscreens contain chemicals that bleach and kill coral.

Reef Relief is the world’s first sunscreen (an Outdoor Ambient Small Scale Solution) that’s not only reef-safe (with harmful chemicals removed) it actively feeds and nourishes coral. No sunscreen has ever done this. We’ve also created a whole new certification/classification marque – not just SPF, but RPF (Reef Protection Factor).

Coral reefs are one of the most important ecosystems on the planet, 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 coral reefs are under serious threat from climate change and pollution. But another danger to coral is sunscreen. 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 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 positive change.

We formulated Reef Relief to be ‘Haereticus Protect Land + Sea Certified’, and ensured 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.

We soft-launched in 2023 and following successful coral testing are in discussions with global government/tourism partners.

Over 80% of sunscreen brands contain chemicals that bleach and kill coral. Very few brands have removed harmful chemicals and 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.

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 coral. 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.