Sunscreen is politically charged in Hawaii. It has been for years. On October 1, 2022, Maui took the most aggressive step yet: a county-wide ban on all non-mineral sunscreens. If the active ingredients in your sunscreen are anything other than zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, that product is illegal to sell, distribute, or use anywhere on Maui. Fines run up to $1,000.

This isn’t a suggestion. It’s law.

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The short version: chemical sunscreen ingredients are toxic to coral reefs and marine life. Oxybenzone, octinoxate, and a dozen other common UV-filtering chemicals wash off millions of beachgoers every year and settle into nearshore waters. Research published in the Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology found that oxybenzone causes coral bleaching, DNA damage, and deformities in coral larvae at concentrations as low as 62 parts per trillion.

Hawaii already passed a statewide ban on sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate in 2021. Maui’s law goes further. It bans all 14 non-mineral active ingredients approved by the FDA, leaving only zinc oxide and titanium dioxide as legal options. The county decided two banned chemicals weren’t enough.

Nobody is patrolling beaches and inspecting your shoulders. Enforcement targets retail. Stores that sell non-mineral sunscreen on Maui risk $1,000-per-day fines. That’s enough to clear shelves fast.

By now, most retailers on Maui have fully transitioned their inventory. Walk into any ABC Store, Longs Drugs, or resort shop and you’ll find mineral-only options. The days of grabbing a bottle of Coppertone Sport off a Maui shelf are over.

One exception: if you have a medical prescription for a sunscreen that contains banned ingredients, you’re allowed to use it. The law carves out space for prescription-only products. Everyone else needs to go mineral.

Mineral sunscreens use non-nano zinc oxide or titanium dioxide to physically block UV radiation. They sit on the skin’s surface like a shield. Chemical sunscreens absorb UV rays and convert them to heat inside your skin. That difference matters.

Dermatologists have long noted that mineral formulas cause fewer allergic reactions and less skin irritation than their chemical counterparts. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends mineral sunscreens for people with sensitive skin, and many pediatricians recommend them for children.

The old complaint about mineral sunscreen was the white cast — that ghostly layer left on your skin after application. Modern formulations have largely solved this. You can find mineral sunscreens in spray cans, tinted versions, and lightweight lotions that blend into most skin tones. They cost more than budget chemical sunscreens, but the gap has narrowed as demand has increased.

If you’re heading to Maui, buy your sunscreen before you arrive and check the label. The active ingredients section should list only zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, or both. Anything else — avobenzone, homosalate, octocrylene, oxybenzone — means that product is banned on Maui.

A few brands that reliably make compliant mineral sunscreens: Blue Lizard, Thinksport, Sun Bum Mineral, and Raw Elements. All are widely available online and at mainland retailers — order before your trip to avoid the markup at resort shops.

Bringing non-mineral sunscreen to Maui doesn’t trigger airport enforcement, but using it anywhere on the island is technically a violation. More importantly, using chemical sunscreen in Maui’s waters means contributing to the exact reef damage this law exists to prevent. The reefs at Ka’anapali, Molokini, and Honolua Bay are already under stress. Every tube of chemical sunscreen rinsed into those waters makes it worse.

Buy mineral. Read the label. Protect the reef and protect your skin at the same time.

Updated 03-25-2026 by Tori C. Derrick.