Biodegradable, eco-friendly sun protection

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. – Have you ever jumped into a pool or the ocean and then watched your sunscreen float in the water around you? One florida entrepreneur, who used to work for a major sunscreen manufacturer, wanted to make sure the products we use to save our skin are also saving our environment.

Reef Safe is little bit more expensive than the mass-market brands of sunscreen, but it's also protecting our oceans and marine life for future generations. It's now a big seller at big resorts like Sandals and Beaches, also in places where diving is very popular.

Reef Safe is 28 years in the making. It started with a trip to the Florida Keys for Don Knorr and some friends.

Knorr said, "I was noticing what we called the "Valdez" effect on the water. I'm sure you've seen that where they jump in and the oil slick comes up at the same time? Well, I was starting to notice the coral starting to get little dead spots and bleaching on them and thought, we've got to do something about this. We need to take care of the ocean. That's how Reef Safe was born.

But back in 1995, the chemical companies were not manufacturing green plant derived botanical chemicals. That's why Knorr became somewhat of a scientist.

Knorr developed Reef Safe, biodegradeable sun protection. He showed us how it measures up to traditional brands with typical ingredients. Those cause water to cloud up. Knorr explained why this happens.

"This will do the same thing as the titanium. In about an hour or so you'll start seeing the fallout from the zinc and titanium falling to the bottom of the beaker. This is simulating falling to the ocean floor where it's going to remain forever unless a tropical disturbance comes along. Then it's going to kick it up and it's going to land in corals and on reefs."

Then Knorr showed us the Reef Safe product with all natural ingredients.

"So, we're going to add this the same way we did the zinc and titanium. You can see you don't get the opacity from the zinc and titanium are because we're using carbon based ingredients that biodegrade."

While this is great for the environment, the obvious question is, "Is this the best product to protect from harmful rays and skin cancer?" Knorr says yes.

"Yes, Reef Safe protects both the burning rays of the sun and the penetrating rays of the sun," Knorr told us. "We protect you better than the mass marketed brands."

Knorr says the difference in his product is clear. Now that he's selling Reef Safe around the world, he hopes that will mean less zinc and titanium in our waters.

"I'm hoping in 100 years from now, further generations can take a walk down the beach in sand and not titanium and zinc sludge. Which if we keep polluting our oceans, that's what it's gonna be."

To purchase Reef Safe, click here for the company website.