Is Australian Gold SPF 15 Lip Balm (Tropical) Reef Safe?
Not everywhere. Allowed in 6 of 9 places we track. See why
- Allowed: Hawaii
- Not allowed: Maui County
- Not allowed: Hawaiʻi County
- Allowed: U.S. Virgin Islands
- Not allowed: Palau
- Allowed: Aruba
- Allowed: Guam
- Allowed: Northern Mariana Islands
- Allowed: Thailand
Australian Gold SPF 15 Lip Balm (Tropical) is allowed under the sunscreen laws of Hawaii statewide, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Aruba, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and Thailand's national parks, but not in Maui County, Hawaiʻi County (Big Island) and Palau. It uses three chemical UV filters: avobenzone 3%, homosalate 8% and octisalate 5%. It is a lip balm made by Australian Gold. Its FDA National Drug Code (NDC) is 84061-127.
SPF 15 is below SPF 30, the minimum the American Academy of Dermatology recommends when choosing a sunscreen.
Where Australian Gold SPF 15 Lip Balm (Tropical) is allowed
| Location | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Maui County (Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi) | Not allowed | Avobenzone, homosalate and octisalate: not permitted actives (mineral only). |
| Hawaiʻi County (Big Island) | Not allowed | Avobenzone, homosalate and octisalate: not permitted actives (mineral only). |
| Palau | Not allowed | Avobenzone, homosalate and octisalate: banned by name. |
| Hawaii (statewide) | Allowed | No restricted ingredients found. |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | Allowed | No restricted ingredients found. |
| Aruba | Allowed | No restricted ingredients found. |
| Guam | Allowed | No restricted ingredients found. |
| Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) | Allowed | No restricted ingredients found. |
| Thailand (all national parks) | Allowed | No restricted ingredients found. |
Guidance and repealed rules (4)
| Mexico: federal marine protected areas (e.g., Isla Mujeres, Punta Cancún & Punta Nizuc) | Against guidance | Avobenzone, homosalate and octisalate: not mineral actives. |
| Bonaire (Bonaire National Marine Park) | Meets guidance | |
| U.S. National Parks with coral reefs (NPS guidance) | Against guidance | Avobenzone: on the avoid list. Homosalate and octisalate: not mineral actives. |
| Key West, Florida | No rule in force |
Australian Gold SPF 15 Lip Balm (Tropical) active ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Avobenzone | 3% | Chemical |
| Homosalate | 8% | Chemical |
| Octisalate | 5% | Chemical |
Australian Gold SPF 15 Lip Balm (Tropical) inactive ingredients
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene, Flavor, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Isocetyl Stearate, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Microcrystalline Wax, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Ozokerite, Petrolatum, Stearyl Alcohol, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Tocopheryl Acetate
Highlighted ingredients are regulated somewhere; red ones are restricted in at least one location we track. Dotted ones are listed below.
Fragrance allergens, essential oils and alcohol
None of the 80 fragrance allergens on the EU list appear on this label, and it lists no fragrance, essential oil or drying alcohol.
The EU requires these allergens to be named on cosmetic labels above 0.001% in leave-on products (Regulation 1223/2009, Annex III). They can cause skin reactions in people who are sensitized; they don’t affect whether a sunscreen is legal anywhere we track.
Note: Sold as a 2-pack; unit weight not stated on the brand page. Brand page shows the active percentages and inactive list without Drug Facts headings. The FDA DailyMed label for this lip balm (set ID e6877f7a-3aaa-4096-bcb5-eae0aa2532e5) lists petrolatum as an additional active (skin protectant); the brand page lists it among the inactives. Broad-spectrum claim not stated on the brand product page.
Common questions about Australian Gold SPF 15 Lip Balm (Tropical)
Is Australian Gold SPF 15 Lip Balm (Tropical) reef safe?
“Reef safe” isn’t a regulated label claim, so we answer by law instead. It is allowed under the sunscreen laws of Hawaii statewide, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Aruba, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and Thailand's national parks, but not in Maui County, Hawaiʻi County (Big Island) and Palau. Labels like “Hawaii Act 104 compliant” only mean a product has no oxybenzone or octinoxate; they don’t make a chemical sunscreen legal on Maui or the Big Island.
Is Australian Gold SPF 15 Lip Balm (Tropical) legal in Hawaii?
Under Hawaii’s statewide law (Act 104, which bans oxybenzone and octinoxate) it is allowed. In Maui County (Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi), which allows only mineral sunscreens, it is not allowed because it contains avobenzone, homosalate and octisalate, and Maui’s rule covers using it there, not just selling it. In Hawaiʻi County (the Big Island), which has a mineral-only rule for sales, it is not allowed. Oʻahu and Kauaʻi have no county rule, so only the statewide law applies there.
Where is Australian Gold SPF 15 Lip Balm (Tropical) not allowed?
Maui County: it contains avobenzone, homosalate and octisalate, which are not allowed there. Hawaiʻi County (Big Island): it contains avobenzone, homosalate and octisalate, which are not allowed there. Palau: it contains avobenzone, homosalate and octisalate, which are not allowed there.
Does Australian Gold SPF 15 Lip Balm (Tropical) contain oxybenzone?
No. It contains neither oxybenzone nor octinoxate, the two chemicals banned under Hawaii’s statewide law. Being oxybenzone-free does not make it mineral: it still uses chemical UV filters.
Is Australian Gold SPF 15 Lip Balm (Tropical) a mineral or chemical sunscreen?
Chemical. Its UV filters are avobenzone 3%, homosalate 8% and octisalate 5%.
What is the NDC for Australian Gold SPF 15 Lip Balm (Tropical)?
Australian Gold SPF 15 Lip Balm (Tropical) is listed with the FDA under National Drug Code 84061-127. The NDC identifies this sunscreen on its FDA drug label (DailyMed); package sizes carry longer package NDCs.
Alternatives to Australian Gold SPF 15 Lip Balm (Tropical) for Maui County, Hawaiʻi County (Big Island) and Palau
Mineral sunscreens from other brands, allowed in all 3 places, ranked by label: water resistance, SPF 30–50, broad spectrum, no listed fragrance. How we rank
