Alba Botanica is calling attention to the serious threat that conventional sunscreens may pose to the environment – especially coral reefs.

During Earth Month – April 2014 – Alba Botanica is urging swimmers to choose biodegradable, mineral-based sunscreen formulas this summer, which are “reef-safe.”

Why the concern? According to Environmental Health Perspectives, an estimated 4,000 to 6,000 metric tons of sunscreen wash off of swimmers annually in oceans worldwide – and, this is endangering coral reefs.

The non-biodegradable ingredients in some chemical sunscreen products, such as Butylparaben and Benzophenone-3, may interfere with marine algae production thus depleting the food source of corals and causing a potential imbalance in the overall food chain of the marine ecosystem.

There are also concerns about the damaging effects of non-biodegradable sunscreen on aquatic life in fresh-water lakes, rivers and streams. The chemical compounds from non-biodegradable sunscreen products have the potential to disrupt normal endocrine function in aquatic plants and animals.

All of Alba Botanica’s mineral sunscreen formulas are biodegradable and free of sunscreen active ingredients that may harm coral reefs.

The brand is also launching a new sunscreen this season, Very Emollient Sunscreen Sport Mineral SPF 45. It has a biodegradable formulation, without parabens, phthalates, artificial colors, oxybenzone or PABA.