SunButter Skincare

A reef-safe sunscreen / Source: SunButter Skincare

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4 MINUTE READ

Sophie Benson

WHAT WE SAY:

Microplastics are between 0.05 and 1 millimetre in size, but nanoplastics are even smaller and a huge unseen problem. Plastic SunSpheres are only 0.0003 millimetres, and in just one suncare product, you’ll find as many as 100 trillion of these tiny plastic particles, used to boost the efficacy of UVA/UVB formulations.

It would be easy to ignore them – most people have never heard of them after all. But Australian suncare brand SunButter knows we can’t turn a blind eye and is taking action by cutting them out completely. We all know where these toxic nanoplastics end up, and others need to follow this pioneer fast.

KEY FACTS:

Australian skincare brand SunButter is making ocean-safe, reef-safe sunscreen by formulating without SunSpheres.
SunSpheres are a styrene/acrylates copolymer, an ingredient type which is often used as an alternative to microbeads to thicken formulations and found in many cosmetics including sunscreen, shampoo, moisturiser and body wash. It’s classed as a “poorly biodegradable, liquid polymer” – confirmed by a 2021 study, which also noted an “urgent need” to evaluate their long-term effects on the environment.
Due to their minuscule size, SunSpheres are easily absorbed into the food chain, or even into animal tissue, but they are still used as a cost-effective filler to improve sunscreens. SunSpheres are SPF boosters which, according to maker Dow Chemicals, “raise the efficacy of UVA/UVB filters and formulations to allow the formulation to use significantly less UV actives.”
As well as cutting out SunSpheres, SunButter has also removed chemical UV filters such as oxybenzone and octinoxate from formulas, as well as nanoparticles.
The brand’s plastic-free formulation has earned it a Look for the Zero certification from the Plastic Soup Foundation.

SunButter sunscreen on the shoreline / Source: SunButter Skincare

A range of SunButter products / Source: SunButter Skincare

DIVE DEEPER:

Despite the fact that sunscreen can contain trillions of plastic SunSphere particles, they are often missed by legislation. Sunscreen isn’t classified as a rinse-off product, and microplastic legislation limits particle size to a minimum of 0.001 millimetres, significantly larger than SunSpheres, meaning they drop through the net.
Although there is no legal obligation and little consumer pressure given how unknown they are, SunButter does not use SunSpheres in any of its formulations, staying one step ahead of its competition. While sunscreen might not be classified as a rinse-off product, its likelihood of being worn in the ocean and other bodies of water is high, and this reality is what inspired SunButter’s marine biologist founder to remove them.
The brand’s packaging is also plastic-free. SunButter was Australia’s first reef-safe sunscreen packaged in reusable, recyclable Aluminium screw top tins. The brand claims it has diverted 66,064 single-use plastic bottles of sunscreen from landfill since its launch in 2019. All products are made in Australia in a solar-powered facility.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration in Australia does not permit sunscreen to be refilled in reusable packaging (yes, we want to know why too), so the brand promotes upcycling of its tins and shares ideas for packaging use on its social media platforms.
SunButter ships internationally and its sunscreens are available on a subscription basis which saves consumers 10% off the one-time purchase price.

"Everything we do comes back to our mantra: "Protecting People and The Planet", and every purchase of a SunButter product helps us live out this mantra."

SunButter Skincare

Key Design Considerations:

Designers need to be vocal about the products they package

Ask questions, get involved, be provocative. That is the role of the creative. We are all complicit and responsible for the work we do.

Don’t rely on legislation loopholes

The official definition of microplastics means SunSpheres are not subject to current bans, but being under the radar doesn’t mean an ingredient isn’t harmful. Investigate each potential ingredient within your formulations carefully to ensure you are not using stealth plastics. It also doesn’t hurt to be ahead of legislation, setting you up for future success when – we hope – microplastic laws become more encompassing.

Be aware of regional differences

Are refills permitted in your market? Sunscreens in particular are subject to high levels of scrutiny and regulation. Sunscreen refills are widely available in the US, for instance, but are not permitted in Australia. Ensure you work in line with local regulations, and where refills are not available, opt for materials with high recycling efficiency rates for your packaging.

Design with end-use in mind

Where will your product be worn? Consider where and how your product may come into contact with the environment, beyond official definitions such as rinse-off. Of course sunscreen rinses off, and often in the worst place possible – the ocean. The best designers always work with realities rather than assumptions in mind.