A group of young people from the University of Costa Rica (UCR) created a natural sunscreen that protects marine life. In general, commercial sunscreens contain chemicals that cause coral bleaching, which causes their death. This also has a negative impact in marine ecosystems.
Therefore, the university students presented the KapiScreen, a sunscreen free of chemicals such as octinoxate and oxybenzone, the main chemicals that harm marine life.
In 2015, the international scientific institution Pollution and Toxicology Archive, estimated that between 6,000 and 14,000 tons of sunscreen lotion are released each year in coral reef areas. The entity explained that this endangers at least 10% of the global reefs and 40% of the reefs of coastal areas.
KapiScreen was part of the wheel of Investors FarmaInnova. It was designed by Mariana González, Mauricio Villegas, Catalina Allón, Kimberly Barrantes, and Andrés Solano. The product is made from natural extracts and acts as a natural physical barrier with a substance that facilitates light reflection and at the same time prevents the absorption of radiation.
According to González,
Most people said they choose not to use a sunscreen because of its thick texture, or because they are too white or their smell is very strong. Then, in addition to its benefit to the environment [since it doesn’t have harmful chemicals, it meets the desired characteristics for daily use”
because its texture is quite pleasant, it is not oily and the smell is soft.