Best reef-safe sunscreen for Hawaii
Bring a sunscreen whose only active ingredients are zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide. It’s legal statewide and under the stricter mineral-only rules on Maui and the Big Island. 388 of the 988 sunscreens we track pass on every island; these are the best of them for each use.
Picked from label data, reviewed 2026-09-23. We don’t take payment from brands.
Which rule applies where
| Island | Rule | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi | Ordinance No. 5306 | Mineral actives only. Selling and using anything else is banned. |
| Hawaiʻi Island (the Big Island) | Ordinance No. 22-81 | Mineral actives only. Selling anything else is banned; using it is not. |
| Oʻahu, Kauaʻi and the rest of the state | Act 104 | Statewide law only: oxybenzone and octinoxate can’t be sold. Other chemical filters are legal. |
523 sunscreens we track are legal on Oʻahu but not on Maui. If you’re island-hopping, pack for Maui’s rule and you’re covered everywhere. The full text, dates and penalties are on each law page, and what you can pack, fly with and use is on theHawaii sunscreen law page.
Made in Hawaii
Kōkua Sun Care, Little Hands Hawaii and Mama Kuleana are based in Hawaii. 9 of their sunscreens are legal on every island.
Hawaiian Natural Zinc Sunscreen SPF 50 (Beach/Sport/Baby), 3 oz
SPF 50 · 80 min water resistant · no fragrance listed · non-nano
Baby Mineral Sunscreen SPF 35+
SPF 35 · 80 min water resistant · no fragrance listed · non-nano
Mama KULEANA Reef Safe Sunscreen SPF 30
SPF 30 · 40 min water resistant · no fragrance listed · non-nano
Best for snorkeling in Hawaii
For Hanauma Bay, Molokini or a morning at Two Step, we require SPF 30 or higher, broad-spectrum protection and 80-minute water resistance, in a lotion, cream, tin or stick. 67 body and sport sunscreens qualify and are legal on every island.
Organic Mineral Face & Sport Zinc Sunscreen SPF 50
SPF 50 · 80 min water resistant · no fragrance listed · non-nano
SPF 50 Sport Mineral Sunscreen Butter
SPF 50 · 80 min water resistant · no fragrance listed · non-nano
Mini SPF 40 Sunscreen Tin
SPF 40 · 80 min water resistant · no fragrance listed · non-nano
Face + Body SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen Lotion
SPF 30 · 80 min water resistant · no fragrance listed · non-nano
Thinksport Safe Sunscreen SPF 50+
SPF 50 · 80 min water resistant · no fragrance listed · non-nano
Hawaiian Natural Zinc Sunscreen SPF 50 (Beach/Sport/Baby), 1 oz
SPF 50 · 80 min water resistant · no fragrance listed · non-nano
Best for your face
87 face and tinted sunscreens are legal on every island. Tinted mineral formulas cut down zinc’s white cast.
SPF 50 Tinted Mineral Sunscreen Butter
SPF 50 · 80 min water resistant · no fragrance listed · non-nano
Face Stick SPF 30
SPF 30 · 80 min water resistant · no fragrance listed · non-nano
Thinksport SPF 50 Clear Zinc Face Sunscreen
SPF 50 · 80 min water resistant · no fragrance listed · non-nano
Every Day Sunscreen SPF 45 Tint
SPF 45 · 80 min water resistant · no fragrance listed · non-nano
Best for kids
85 kids’ and baby sunscreens are legal on every island. The FDA advises keeping babies under 6 months out of the sun rather than using sunscreen.
SPF 50 Kids Mineral Sunscreen Butter Stick
SPF 50 · 80 min water resistant · no fragrance listed · non-nano
Baby + Kids SPF 30+ Tin
SPF 30 · 80 min water resistant · no fragrance listed · non-nano
Thinksport Kids Sunscreen Stick SPF 30+
SPF 30 · 80 min water resistant · no fragrance listed · non-nano
Baby Mineral Sunscreen Stick SPF 50
SPF 50 · 80 min water resistant · no fragrance listed
Best spray sunscreens for Hawaii
Hawaii’s laws regulate ingredients, not format, so a mineral spray is legal everywhere in the state. 38 sprays we track qualify. Spray until skin glistens, rub it in, and don’t spray into the wind on a crowded beach.
Kids Mineral Sunscreen Lotion Spray SPF 50
SPF 50 · 80 min water resistant · no fragrance listed
Baby Lightweight Mineral Lotion - SPF 50
SPF 50 · 80 min water resistant · no fragrance listed
Sheer Zinc Mineral Sunscreen Spray SPF30
SPF 30 · 80 min water resistant · no fragrance listed
Mineral SPF 30 Sunscreen Spray
SPF 30 · 80 min water resistant · no fragrance listed
Best sticks for the flight over
61 sticks are legal on every island. A stick isn’t a liquid, so it doesn’t count toward your carry-on limit.
Organic Mineral Zinc Sun Stick SPF 50
SPF 50 · 80 min water resistant · no fragrance listed · non-nano
SPF 50 Sport Mineral Sunscreen Butter Stick
SPF 50 · 80 min water resistant · no fragrance listed · non-nano
Baby + Kids SPF 30+ Stick
SPF 30 · 80 min water resistant · no fragrance listed · non-nano
Active Mineral Sunscreen Stick SPF 35
SPF 35 · 80 min water resistant · no fragrance listed
How we pick
Every product here is legal under all three Hawaii rules, has a fully sourced ingredient list and is still sold. Within each list we rank by 80-minute water resistance, SPF 30–50, broad-spectrum protection, no listed fragrance and a stated non-nano active, one product per brand. We haven’t tested texture or white cast and we don’t track prices. See our picks that are legal everywhere, Palau included, or read how we check products.
Common questions
What is the best reef-safe sunscreen for Hawaii?
One whose only active ingredients are zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide. That meets the statewide law and the stricter mineral-only rules on Maui and the Big Island. 388 of the 988 sunscreens we track are legal on every island.
Is a sunscreen that is legal on Oʻahu also legal on Maui?
Not always. 523 sunscreens we track meet the statewide law but not Maui County’s mineral-only rule, usually because they use chemical filters such as avobenzone, homosalate or octocrylene.