Stream2Sea - Safe for You, Safe for the Planet

Here at Divers Direct, we are always looking for eco-conscious vendors to match our planet friendly values. And when it comes to Stream2Sea, they check every box. We’re thrilled to connect with this Florida-based company and to bring their reef-safe (and people-safe) products to you. 

Let’s dive into what makes Stream2Sea such an incredible company for eco-conscious consumers like us.

How Stream2Sea Got Started

Like many great stories, let’s start from the beginning. After a scuba diving trip to Palau, Autumn Blum became highly concerned with the effects that skin care products have on the marine ecosystem and on our own bodies. In 2015, she took action and founded Stream2Sea to make products that are safe for the planet and all its animals (humans included). 

Not only has Ms. Blum been passionate about creating safe body care products like sunscreen, lotions, lip balm, and more, she’s involved in planet-saving activism and has influenced congressional decisions like toxic sunscreen bans in Hawaii, the Florida Keys, and other beautiful but at-risk destinations where tourists come in droves (and often covered in toxic chemicals to block the sun. 

Here’s a message directly from Stream2Sea about who they are as a company and what their mission is:

"Stream2Sea is a dynamic, fast-growing personal-care company committed to making a difference. We are adventurers: scuba divers, white-water rafters, trail blazers & kayakers. We are fly fishers, tree huggers, water babies, and sun worshippers. We are scientists, chemists, environmentalists, and passionate individuals and we live near reefs, streams, lakes, and oceans. We know that the products we use on a daily basis can and do impact our environment, and that together… we could do better!"

Ingredients and the Planet

Most popular sunscreens and personal care products over the decades have unfortunately included harmful chemicals that can bleach coral, impair the growth of green algae, and seriously affect the health of fish and other marine animals. If these chemicals and products have the power to disrupt entire ecosystems, what kind of effects do you think are taking place on your own body as you rub these chemicals into your skin? 

And here’s the thing, there are quite a few sunscreen brands and personal care companies that add the label “reef safe” and “non toxic” to their products, but can you handle a bit of truth? Many of those products haven’t actually been tested on the validity of those labels. Many times, the known toxic ingredients in question have simply been removed, which, fair enough, needs to be done regardless. But what about the other chemicals and ingredients in these products? Ingredients like oxybenzone, avobenzone, and octinoxate are in fact harmful to fish and coral reefs, yet these chemicals are still found in products claiming to be “reef safe”

Here is where Stream2Sea stands out. Stream2Sea has been thoroughly tested and has been proven safe for freshwater fish, saltwater fish, and coral larvae. With such thorough research, Stream2Sea is officially Protect Land + Sea Certified. Protect Land + Sea certification was created by Haereticus Environmental Lab (HEL), which is a non-profit, scientific organization dedicated to wildlife and ecosystem conservation. In the words of Stream2Sea, “If a product wears the Protect Land + Sea Certification Seal, consumers, park rangers, and businesses can rest assured that a product does not contain ingredients that may be harmful environmental pollutants.”

Amazingly enough, their environmentalism doesn’t stop at ingredient integrity and activism. Nearly all that hard work would go right out the window if these products were packaged in a traditional plastic bottle. That’s why Stream2Sea has gone the extra effort to package their products in sugar cane resin tubing and bottles made from 97% post consumer recycled materials.

We carry Stream2Sea!

Listen, we know the ocean is important to you and we know that your health is important to you. Both are important to us too! That’s why we support and carry brands that are proven safe for both you and the environment like Stream2Sea. Buy, apply, and go play!

FAQs

How can you tell if a sunscreen is reef-safe? 

Just check out the active ingredients section on a sunscreen bottle and look for ingredients like oxybenzone, avobenzone, and octinoxate. If the product has these ingredients, it’s not reef-safe! Go for a product that has mineral-based ingredients, and, better yet, look for the Protect Land + Sea Certification designation on the bottle. 

What are the bad ingredients in sunscreen?

Oxybenzone, avobenzone homosalate, and octinoxate not only negatively alter the fragile marine ecosystem, these ingredients act as hormone disruptors in the human body that can negatively affect our health and well being as well. 

How does sunscreen affect coral reefs? 

Sunscreen that is not reef-safe causes coral bleaching, which is when coral expels its algae, causing it to look white. This can create undue stress on the coral and make it more prone to mortality.

Is Stream2Sea safe? 

Stream2Sea is one of the safest personal care brands on the market right now. Their extensive testing has proven that these products are not only safe for you, but safe for the environment too. 

Where is Stream2Sea made? 

Like Divers Direct, Stream2Sea is a Florida-based company. Stream2Sea has a manufacturing facility here in Florida.