Is Sunbum Sustainable or is it Greenwashing?
This article was last updated May 2024.
Is Sunbum sustainable or is it greenwashing?
Welcome to “Sustainable or Greenwashing” series where I’m sharing if brands and products are actually what they say they are.
Is Sunbum sustainable or is it greenwashing? ☀️
Sunbum was started in 2010 to create suncare that would protect friends and families from the sun.
They’re made in the USA, vegan, PETA AND leaping bunny cruelty free, Paraben free, sulfate free, & the sprays are aerosol free.
Most suncare they offer is a chemical sunscreen, which means it uses chemicals to block the sun, but they also have a mineral suncare line that is Hawaii reef compliant & uses physical elements to block the sun (thus the white color).
If you don’t know the difference between the two or why one is more eco friendly than the other, let me know and I can do a separate video on that in the future. 🌎
Sunbum has a nonprofit called Protect the Groms & is dedicated to helping educate kids on sun safety, and I noticed it’s owned by SC Johnson Company which isn’t always a good sign.
As far as ingredient sourcing and manufacturing practices, I couldn’t find much, but I did find they have an open case from 2022 for failing to disclose that some products contained the carcinogen, benzene. No update on that case has been released, but definitely something to keep in mind.
Packaging is mostly plastic, and the bamboo design on it is definitely makes it look more eco friendly than it actually is. They do mention on their website protecting the planet quite a bit, but don’t have a lot of initiatives for any sustainable products or packaging.
If you’re shopping this brand I’d say to keep with the mineral line because I do like that they give back to communities & that the mineral line is Hawaii reef compliant. 🧴
So is Sunbum sustainable or is it greenwashing?
I wouldn’t call this brand sustainable and it does lean a liiiiiitle greenwashy to me mostly due to the fact they mention they don’t want to harm the planet but their packaging sucks and their chemical sunscreens have ingredients that can harm coral reefs- but what do you think? 🪴
XOXO,
Krys
