Sunscreen Bans in Hawaii, Maui and the Virgin Islands: What's Actually Restricted

By the Belle Vault Editorial Team · Laws checked September 30, 2026

You land in Maui with a half-used bottle of your usual sunscreen and a vague memory of reading that some sunscreens are banned there. Is the bottle in your bag a problem?

It depends on exactly where you are standing, because the rules differ in what they restrict. Some ban the sale of certain sunscreens. Some go further and ban their use or possession. And the "reef safe" label printed on many bottles is not what most people think it is.

Here is what the main laws actually say, what the science behind them does and does not show, and how to pack without guessing.

Four places, four different rules

Hawaii (statewide). Since January 1, 2021, state law has banned the sale and distribution of sunscreens containing oxybenzone or octinoxate without a prescription [1]. The law targets sale, not what visitors bring. Reporting in 2021 found no state agency set up to enforce it on beaches [2].

Maui County. Since October 1, 2022, a county ordinance has banned the sale, distribution and use of non-mineral sunscreens without a prescription. Only sunscreens using non-nanotized zinc oxide or titanium dioxide are allowed [3]. Maui County, which also covers Molokai and Lanai, is the one place on this list where the rule reaches what you put on your skin.

U.S. Virgin Islands. Since March 30, 2020, the territory has banned the import, sale and possession of sunscreens containing oxybenzone, octinoxate or octocrylene [4].

Palau. Since January 1, 2020, Palau has banned sunscreens containing a list of "reef-toxic" ingredients, initially ten, and later expanded the list to what its government calls the world's strictest national sunscreen standard, with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide as the only permitted active ingredients [5].

What the science does and doesn't show

The laws grew out of laboratory research. A 2016 study highlighted by NOAA found that oxybenzone exposure was linked to effects on coral including greater susceptibility to bleaching, DNA damage, abnormal skeleton growth and deformities in young coral [6].

In 2022 the National Academies reviewed the wider evidence for the Environmental Protection Agency. The committee called for a proper ecological risk assessment, but also noted that toxicity data for many marine species is limited and that there are few studies on longer-term effects [7]. In other words: there is lab evidence of harm, and not yet enough field evidence to say how large the real-world effect is.

The same report made a point that tends to get lost. Consistent use of broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher reduces the risk of skin cancer and sunburn, and reduced availability of sunscreens people prefer "may lead to reduced use, which would be expected to have a negative impact on health" [7]. The answer to these laws is not less sunscreen. It is choosing which one.

The counterintuitive part: "reef safe" is not a regulated claim

There is no legal definition of "reef safe" on a U.S. sunscreen label. When a team of dermatology researchers examined 97 sunscreens, 52 of them, 54%, were marketed as reef safe. Of those, 4% still contained oxybenzone or octinoxate, the two ingredients Hawaii bans, and 48% did not meet the criteria NOAA uses to describe reef-safe ingredients. The reef-safe-labeled products also cost more: $3.84 an ounce on average, against $2.61 for the rest [8].

So the label on the front of the bottle tells you what the brand wants to say. The "Active ingredients" panel on the back tells you what the law cares about. If you are going to Maui County, you want only zinc oxide or titanium dioxide listed there. If you are going to Hawaii's other islands, you want no oxybenzone or octinoxate. For the Virgin Islands, add octocrylene to that list.

Packing it

Sunscreen follows the same carry-on liquid rule as any lotion: 3.4 oz (100 ml) or less per container in a U.S. carry-on [9]. The FDA recommends reapplying at least every two hours and more often when swimming or sweating, keeping containers out of direct sun, and treating a sunscreen with no expiration date as expired three years after purchase [10]. Which formula suits your skin is a question for a dermatologist.

What to do with this

1. Check the active ingredients, not the "reef safe" claim. Nearly half the labeled products in one study didn't meet NOAA's criteria [8].
2. Know whether your destination restricts sale, use or possession. Maui County and the Virgin Islands reach what's in your bag; the Hawaii state law does not [1][3][4].
3. Keep using sunscreen. The National Academies were explicit that less sunscreen use would be expected to harm health [7].

For the rest of a sun-heavy trip, see the cruise beauty packing list. For a small carry-along kit, see the travel beauty accessories.

Frequently asked questions

Is my sunscreen banned in Hawaii?

Hawaii's state law bans the sale and distribution of sunscreens containing oxybenzone or octinoxate without a prescription, effective January 1, 2021; it does not address visitors' own bottles. Maui County is stricter: since October 1, 2022 it bans the sale, distribution and use of non-mineral sunscreens.

What sunscreen is allowed in Maui?

Mineral sunscreens made with non-nanotized zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, according to Maui County. Its ordinance bans the sale, distribution and use of non-mineral sunscreens without a prescription. Check the Active Ingredients panel: those two minerals should be the only actives listed.

Can I bring my own sunscreen to the U.S. Virgin Islands?

Only if it doesn't contain oxybenzone, octinoxate or octocrylene. The territory's law, fully in effect since March 30, 2020, bans the import, sale and possession of sunscreens with those ingredients, not just their sale. Check the Active Ingredients panel before you pack, and buy a compliant mineral sunscreen if yours doesn't qualify.

What does reef safe sunscreen mean?

There is no regulated definition on U.S. labels. In a 2019 study of 97 sunscreens, 54% were marketed as reef safe, yet 48% of those didn't meet NOAA's criteria and 4% still contained oxybenzone or octinoxate. Read the active ingredients rather than relying on the front label.

Does sunscreen really harm coral reefs?

Laboratory studies, including a 2016 study highlighted by NOAA, link oxybenzone to coral bleaching susceptibility, DNA damage and deformities. A 2022 National Academies review found data on many marine species and long-term effects limited, and called for a formal risk assessment. Lab harm is shown; real-world scale is still being studied.

Which sunscreen should I use on a beach vacation?

That depends on your skin, and a dermatologist is the right person to advise on product and SPF. What the research does say is to keep using it: the National Academies noted that consistent broad-spectrum SPF 30+ use reduces skin cancer and sunburn risk, and the FDA advises reapplying at least every two hours.

How we sourced this

Legal summaries come from government sources where we could reach them (Maui County, Palau) and from legal and news summaries of the Hawaii state law and the U.S. Virgin Islands law; we could not load the Hawaii legislature's bill page directly. Science comes from NOAA and the National Academies, reported side by side because they emphasize different things. The label study is a 2019 peer-reviewed letter; the market may have changed since. This article is not legal or medical advice.

1. Hunton Andrews Kurth, Retail Law Resource. Hawaii governor signs law banning chemicals from sunscreen products (Act 104, 2018). Legal summary. hunton.com
2. Honolulu Civil Beat (August 2021). Hawaii has a ban on sunscreen chemicals but no one's sure who should enforce it. civilbeat.org
3. County of Maui. Mineral-only sunscreen, Maui County. mauicounty.gov
4. National Parks Traveler (July 2019). U.S. Virgin Islands bans sunscreens harmful to coral reefs. nationalparkstraveler.org
5. Republic of Palau. The Republic of Palau adopts the world's strictest national sunscreen standard. palaugov.pw
6. NOAA National Ocean Service. Skincare chemicals and coral reefs. oceanservice.noaa.gov
7. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (August 9, 2022). EPA should conduct ecological risk assessment of UV filters found in sunscreen. nationalacademies.org
8. Tsatalis, J., Burroway, B., & Bray, F. (2019). Evaluation of "reef safe" sunscreens: labeling and cost implications for consumers. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. jaad.org
9. TSA. Liquids, Aerosols and Gels Rule. tsa.gov
10. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Sunscreen: how to help protect your skin from the sun. fda.gov