California bill targets ‘Reel Safe’ Sunscreen Claims

California AB 1744 would prohibit sunscreen manufacturers and sellers from marketing products as ‘reel safe’, ‘reel friendly’, ‘ocean safe’, ‘marine safe’ or similar terms unless the sunscreen contains no chemical ultraviolet filters. The bill specifically identifies six chemical UV filters that would disqualify a sunscreen from using these environmental claims: avobenzone, homosalate, octinoxate, octisalate, octocrylene, and oxybenzone. The proposed restrictions would apply to over-the-counter sunscreen products sold in California, including lotions, sprays, sticks, gels and solids.

AB 1744 builds California’s existing law prohibiting untruthful, deceptive, or misleading environmental marketing claims. Violations would be misdemeanors, creating a new state-mandated local enforcement program. The measure would also clarify that compliance with the new labeling restriction does not replace existing requirements to substantiate environmental marketing claims. Follow us to learn more.