Is Ocean Potion Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion 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
Ocean Potion Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion 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 uses four chemical UV filters: avobenzone 3%, homosalate 10%, octisalate 5% and octocrylene 5%. It is a broad-spectrum sunscreen for kids lotion made by Ocean Potion (GNL Brands International, LLC) and is water resistant for up to 80 minutes.
Sizes: 3.4 fl oz · 6.8 fl oz
Where Ocean Potion Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion 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, octisalate and phenoxyethanol: 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Guidance and repealed rules (4)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 |
Ocean Potion Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion active ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Avobenzone | 3% | Chemical |
| Homosalate | 10% | Chemical |
| Octisalate | 5% | Chemical |
| Octocrylene | 5% | Chemical |
Ocean Potion Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion inactive ingredients
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Carbomer, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Fragrance, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Lonicera Caprifolium (honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Polyethylene, Polysorbate 20, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbitan Oleate, Theobroma Cacao (Cocaa) Seed Butter, Tocopheryl Acetate, Water
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: 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: The oceanpotion.com product page prints only the inactive list (under an "ACTIVE INGREDIENTS" heading), so the actives (Avobenzone 3.0%, Homosalate 10%, Octisalate 5.0%, Octocrylene 5.0%) and the 80-minute water resistance were read from the back-label photo on the same page (https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0683/3340/4463/files/OP-individual_SPF50KIDS-LOTION-back.jpg). Inactive list copied from the page text; the photo prints "Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa)" where the page has "Cocaa". The 3.4 oz and 6.8 oz tubes have separate pages with the same list.
Common questions about Ocean Potion Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion
Is Ocean Potion Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion 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 Ocean Potion Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion 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 Ocean Potion Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion 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, octisalate and phenoxyethanol, which are not allowed there. Guam: it contains octocrylene, which is not allowed there.
Does Ocean Potion Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion 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 Ocean Potion Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion a mineral or chemical sunscreen?
Chemical. Its UV filters are avobenzone 3%, homosalate 10%, octisalate 5% and octocrylene 5%.
Is Ocean Potion Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion 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 Ocean Potion Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion 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
Think Kids Safe Sunscreen SPF 50+
Kids Roll-On Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50
Kids Mineral Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50
Kids Mineral SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion