Is Coppertone Clearly Sheer Whipped Sunscreen SPF 30 Reef Safe?
Not everywhere. Allowed in 4 of 9 places we track. See why
- Allowed: Hawaii
- Not allowed: Maui County
- Not allowed: Hawaiʻi County
- Not allowed: U.S. Virgin Islands
- Not allowed: Palau
- Allowed: Aruba
- Not allowed: Guam
- Allowed: Northern Mariana Islands
- Allowed: Thailand
Coppertone Clearly Sheer Whipped Sunscreen SPF 30 is allowed under the sunscreen laws of Hawaii statewide, Aruba, the Northern Mariana Islands and Thailand's national parks, but not in Maui County, Hawaiʻi County (Big Island), the U.S. Virgin Islands, Palau and Guam. It used four chemical UV filters: avobenzone 3%, homosalate 10%, octisalate 4.5% and octocrylene 8%. It was a body sunscreen spray made by Coppertone (Beiersdorf Inc.) and was water resistant for up to 80 minutes. It has been discontinued, but is kept here for reference.
Where Coppertone Clearly Sheer Whipped Sunscreen SPF 30 is allowed
| Location | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Maui County (Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi) | Not allowed | Avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate and octocrylene: not permitted actives (mineral only). |
| Hawaiʻi County (Big Island) | Not allowed | Avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate and octocrylene: not permitted actives (mineral only). |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | Not allowed | Octocrylene: banned by name. |
| Palau | Not allowed | Octocrylene, avobenzone, homosalate and octisalate: banned by name. |
| Guam | Not allowed | Octocrylene: banned by name. |
| Hawaii (statewide) | Allowed | No restricted ingredients found. |
| Aruba | 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Guidance and repealed rules (4)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, octisalate and octocrylene: 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, octisalate and octocrylene: not mineral actives. |
| Key West, Florida | No rule in force |
Coppertone Clearly Sheer Whipped Sunscreen SPF 30 active ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Avobenzone | 3% | Chemical |
| Homosalate | 10% | Chemical |
| Octisalate | 4.5% | Chemical |
| Octocrylene | 8% | Chemical |
Coppertone Clearly Sheer Whipped Sunscreen SPF 30 inactive ingredients
Water, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Behenyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Dicaprylyl Ether, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Benzyl Alcohol, Butylated PVP, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Myristyl Alcohol, Chlorphenesin, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Cellulose Gum, Lecithin, Disodium EDTA, Lauryl Alcohol, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Fragrance, Nitrous Oxide
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
- Fragrance allergens on the EU list: Benzyl Alcohol (Benzyl Alcohol: The EU label rule applies when it is used as a fragrance. In sunscreens it is often a preservative.)
- Fragrance: listed as “Fragrance”. US labels don’t have to name the allergens inside a fragrance, so there may be more than this list shows.
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: Discontinued: an older Coppertone product filed by Bayer HealthCare LLC (the pre-Beiersdorf labeler); it is not on coppertone.com, not in DailyMed search results and not in the current FDA NDC directory. Actives and inactive list (label order) were taken from its archived FDA-filed label, which still renders on DailyMed: SPL set ID 416ef5b7-5097-6250-e054-00144ff8d46c, label version effective 2019-07-29. Whipped mousse dispensed from an aerosol can (nitrous oxide propellant); recorded as spray-aerosol. Its label images carry no transcribed panel text, so broad spectrum status and size could not be confirmed from the filed text.
Common questions about Coppertone Clearly Sheer Whipped Sunscreen SPF 30
Is Coppertone Clearly Sheer Whipped Sunscreen SPF 30 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, Aruba, the Northern Mariana Islands and Thailand's national parks, but not in Maui County, Hawaiʻi County (Big Island), the U.S. Virgin Islands, Palau and Guam. 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 Coppertone Clearly Sheer Whipped Sunscreen SPF 30 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, octisalate and octocrylene, 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 Coppertone Clearly Sheer Whipped Sunscreen SPF 30 not allowed?
Maui County: it contains avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate and octocrylene, which are not allowed there. Hawaiʻi County (Big Island): it contains avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate and octocrylene, which are not allowed there. The U.S. Virgin Islands: it contains octocrylene, which is not allowed there. Palau: it contains octocrylene, avobenzone, homosalate and octisalate, which are not allowed there. Guam: it contains octocrylene, which is not allowed there.
Does Coppertone Clearly Sheer Whipped Sunscreen SPF 30 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 Coppertone Clearly Sheer Whipped Sunscreen SPF 30 a mineral or chemical sunscreen?
Chemical. Its UV filters are avobenzone 3%, homosalate 10%, octisalate 4.5% and octocrylene 8%.
Is Coppertone Clearly Sheer Whipped Sunscreen SPF 30 water resistant?
Yes, for up to 80 minutes of swimming or sweating, according to its label. Reapply after 80 minutes in the water, immediately after towel drying, and at least every 2 hours.
Alternatives to Coppertone Clearly Sheer Whipped Sunscreen SPF 30 for Maui County, Hawaiʻi County (Big Island), the U.S. Virgin Islands, Palau and Guam
Mineral sunscreens from other brands, allowed in all 5 places, ranked by label: water resistance, SPF 30–50, broad spectrum, no listed fragrance. How we rank
Mineral SPF 30 Sunscreen Spray
Sensitive Mineral SPF 50 Spray
Sheer Mineral Sunscreen Spray SPF 30
Zinc Oxide Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 - Fragrance Free