Hawaii's reef-safe sunscreen rules are easy to misread from the mainland. You still need real sun protection out here, but the label matters. Pack a mineral sunscreen whose only active ingredients are zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, or both, especially if any part of your trip touches Maui.
Statewide Rules, Maui County, and the Big Island
Hawaii's statewide sunscreen law grew out of SB2571, enacted as Act 104, which restricted the sale, offer for sale, and distribution of over-the-counter sunscreens containing oxybenzone or octinoxate beginning January 1, 2021. The statewide law does not ban sunscreen use. It controls island retail sales of the two named ingredients, so visitors should read the active-ingredient panel rather than rely on a "reef safe" claim printed on the front.
Maui goes further. Under Maui County Ordinance 5306, the sale, use, or distribution of non-mineral sunscreens without a prescription has been prohibited since October 1, 2022. Mineral, in this case, means zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, or both as the active ingredients. If you're visiting Maui, treat mineral sunscreen as the default for the whole trip rather than trying to separate "legal statewide" from "best for Maui." Our companion guide, Maui Mineral Sunscreen Law: What Visitors Need, walks through the county rule in more detail.
On the Big Island, Hawaiʻi County Code §§14-30–14-31 restricts the sale, offer for sale, and distribution for sale of non-mineral sunscreen without a prescription. Its definition allows only zinc oxide and titanium dioxide as active ingredients. This is a sales restriction; it does not create Maui County's personal-use ban. For the latest published code and amendments, see the county’s code index and table of sections affected.
The clean packing rule holds across islands: choose broad-spectrum mineral sunscreen, add a rash guard or sun shirt for long water days, and reapply according to the product label. That protects your skin better than trying to decode every marketing claim on the front of the bottle.
Is BEMT (Bemotrizinol) Sunscreen Allowed in Hawaii?
FDA permission does not make a BEMT sunscreen compliant everywhere in Hawaii. BEMT is short for bemotrizinol, a UV filter rather than a sunscreen brand. The FDA added bemotrizinol to its permitted over-the-counter sunscreen active ingredients in June 2026. It protects against UVA and UVB rays and has been used abroad for years. That federal decision does not certify a sunscreen as reef-safe.
BEMT is a non-mineral filter. Here is how the existing rules apply:
- Statewide: Hawaii’s statewide law restricts sales of sunscreens containing oxybenzone or octinoxate without a prescription. It does not name BEMT or itself ban personal sunscreen use. BEMT alone does not trigger that restriction; check the other active ingredients too.
- Maui County: Maui County’s rule prohibits selling, distributing, or using non-mineral sunscreen without a prescription. An over-the-counter BEMT sunscreen does not meet that rule.
- Big Island: Hawaiʻi County’s rule prohibits selling, offering for sale, or distributing for sale non-mineral sunscreen without a prescription. BEMT sunscreen falls within that sales restriction. This rule does not prohibit personal use.
Before buying: read every active ingredient on the Drug Facts label. A blend containing zinc oxide and BEMT is still non-mineral under the county definitions. For a trip across islands, our packing recommendation is sunscreen with only zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, or both as active ingredients. Choose broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher and water resistance for swimming, following American Academy of Dermatology guidance. Read the full label rather than relying on “reef-safe” marketing.
Chemical vs. Mineral Filters
Oxybenzone and octinoxate are chemical UV filters. They are not the same as mineral filters such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Hawaii's reef-focused rules target the sale of the two named ingredients statewide, while Maui's rule is broader and points visitors toward mineral formulas.
Sunscreen still matters. Hawaii's sun is strong, beach days run long, and travelers often underestimate how quickly a burn builds through clouds, trade-wind cooling, or time in the water. A reef-conscious plan adds physical coverage rather than removing skin protection. A UPF rash guard, hat, sunglasses, shade breaks, and a mineral sunscreen together work better than sunscreen alone.
When you book a snorkel, sailing, kayak, or surf lesson, read the operator's pre-trip email. Some water-based operators ask guests to arrive with mineral sunscreen already applied or to skip aerosol sprays on the boat. That's partly about reefs and partly about slippery decks, overspray, and keeping product out of other guests' eyes.
Get Your Free Hawai'i Guide
Instant access — opens immediately
- Beaches, activities & top spots
- Restaurant & dining recommendations
- Maps, itineraries & insider tips
Want the full offline version? Get the Complete Hawai'i Guidebook →
How to Read the Label
The front of a sunscreen bottle can be vague. "Reef safe" and "reef friendly" are marketing terms, so flip the bottle over and read the active ingredients panel. For Maui, look for zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide only. The Big Island also restricts non-mineral sunscreen sales. Elsewhere, avoiding oxybenzone and octinoxate addresses the two ingredients named in the statewide sales law; it is not a reef-safety certification.
Spray sunscreen is convenient on the mainland, but it's usually a poor fit for Hawaii beach days. Wind carries it away from your skin, overspray lands on sand or in the water, and many people under-apply it. A lotion, cream, stick, or tinted mineral formula is easier to apply deliberately, especially before a snorkel tour or long beach morning.
If mineral sunscreen leaves a white cast, try a tinted face formula, a stick for ears and nose, and a separate body lotion. Travelers with sensitive skin should test the product before flying rather than making the first application on a hot beach with saltwater already on their skin.
Certifications and Where to Buy
Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are the two active ingredients visitors should recognize first. Some products also carry third-party reef-focused seals, including Protect Land + Sea-style certifications. A seal helps, but the active ingredients panel is still the clearest place to start.
Buy before you fly if you already have a mineral formula you like. If you arrive without sunscreen, check pharmacies, grocery stores, resort shops, and natural-food stores — they typically carry mineral options, though brand, tint, SPF, and price will vary by island and store. Packing a known product removes an errand from your first day.
Don't skip sunscreen, and don't trust vague "reef" branding on the front of a bottle. Bring a mineral broad-spectrum SPF, cover up when you can, and treat reef-conscious sun protection as part of the same beach-safety plan as checking surf, wind, and posted warning signs.
What to Bring: A Practical Summary
If you're visiting Hawaii, here's what the rules actually mean for your beach bag.
On Maui: Bring mineral sunscreen only. The active ingredients should be zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, or both. Don't assume your usual mainland chemical sunscreen will fit Maui's rule or be easy to replace after arrival.
On the Big Island: The county restricts non-mineral sunscreen sales without a prescription. On other islands, the statewide sales restriction names oxybenzone and octinoxate. Read every active ingredient; FDA permission for BEMT does not override county restrictions.
What to buy: Mineral sunscreens using zinc oxide or titanium dioxide are the easiest option across all islands. Look for broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher, water resistance if you'll swim, and a texture you'll actually reapply.
Where to buy: Buy before you travel if you're picky about brand, tint, or texture. If you forget, check pharmacies, grocery stores, outdoor shops, and resort markets — expect a smaller selection than a mainland big-box store.
Suggested Mineral Sunscreen
The product link below is an affiliate link; verify the current active-ingredient label before purchasing.
