Guam bans skincare products containing reef-damaging substances

By Pacific Island Times News Staff

Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero has signed into law a bill prohibiting the importation

of skincare products with chemicals that may hurt Guam’s marine ecosystems.

Vice Speaker Tony Ada’s Bill 35-38, now Public Law 38-5, bans cosmetics,  hair

 care, sunscreen, bath and shower products and other vanity items containing

oxybenzone, octinoxate, and octocrylene that may contribute to reef degradation.

“Our coral reefs are vital to Guam's coastal protection, marine biodiversity, and economy. By eliminating toxic pollutants, we align with global efforts to preserve marine life and promote sustainable alternatives,” Leon Guerrero said.

The new law requires the Department of Public Health and Social Services to maintain a list of banned skincare products that will be posted on its website and those of the Guam Department of Agriculture and the Guam Environmental Protection Agency. The list will be updated if a new product is added.

The new law was prompted by the U.S. National Park Service’s report that

sunscreen pollution “can have major impacts on corals, fish, mammals and the whole ecosystem.”

The report said chemical contamination can bleach or deform corals, and impair the growth of green 

algae, an essential part of the food web. 

In Hawaii, such contamination has affected at-risk

species such as the green sea turtle. 

“Unfortunately, through water sampling around coral reef sites.,” states the new law. “The U.S. National Park Service has detected high concentrations of  some of these harmful chemicals  such as oxybenzone, octinoxate and avobenzone.”

Guam now joins other coastal jurisdictions such as the U.S. Virgin Islands and Hawaii, where personal care products are banned. In Palau, sunscreen products have been prohibited since 2020.

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