FYI: You won't believe what the chemical in sunscreens can do

"Sunscreen is extremely effective," "As a person who likes to go to the beach, I know what happens when I don't use it, and I don't think we should doubt the resolve of manufacturers to protect consumers.

"The question is the risk-to-benefit ratio," Kürti said. "The FDA has to think about the chemical ingredients that may interfere with human enzymes and hormones and the potential to trigger side effects. And, of course, like the chemical compounds in other consumer products, the chemicals in sunscreen also end up in the environment."

The potential risk, he said, comes not from the minerals zinc oxide and titanium oxide that give sunscreen its basic properties, but from the organic chemical compounds that provide extra protection by blocking specific wavelengths of UV light and could be absorbed through the skin.

Hawaii, and Key West, Florida, have already banned sunscreens with two chemicals, oxybenzone and octinoxate, suspected of harming coral reefs.

Source:Kürti Research Group: http://kurtilabs.com Rice Department of Chemistry: https://chemistry.rice.edu