Is Alba Botanica Hydration Sensation Water Gel SPF 18 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
Alba Botanica Hydration Sensation Water Gel SPF 18 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 three chemical UV filters: avobenzone 3%, octisalate 5% and octocrylene 10%. It is a broad-spectrum facial sunscreen gel made by Alba Botanica (The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.) and is not water resistant.
Sizes: 2 fl oz
SPF 18 is below SPF 30, the minimum the American Academy of Dermatology recommends when choosing a sunscreen.
Where Alba Botanica Hydration Sensation Water Gel SPF 18 is allowed
| Location | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Maui County (Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi) | Not allowed | Avobenzone, octisalate and octocrylene: not permitted actives (mineral only). |
| Hawaiʻi County (Big Island) | Not allowed | Avobenzone, octisalate and octocrylene: not permitted actives (mineral only). |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | Not allowed | Octocrylene: banned by name. |
| Palau | Not allowed | Octocrylene, avobenzone, 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Guidance and repealed rules (4)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, 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. Octisalate and octocrylene: not mineral actives. |
| Key West, Florida | No rule in force |
Alba Botanica Hydration Sensation Water Gel SPF 18 active ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Avobenzone | 3% | Chemical |
| Octisalate | 5% | Chemical |
| Octocrylene | 10% | Chemical |
Alba Botanica Hydration Sensation Water Gel SPF 18 inactive ingredients
Water (Aqua), Coconut Alkanes, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Citrus Reticulata (Tangerine) Leaf Oil, Cupressus Sempervirens (Cypress) Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Leaf Oil, Ferula Galbaniflua (Galbanum) Resin Oil, Juniperus Mexicana Oil, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Pogostemon Cablin Oil, Thuja Occidentalis (Cedarleaf) Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Juice, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Liquid Endosperm, Nymphaea Caerulea Flower Extract, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Starch, Tocopheryl Acetate, Benzyl Acetate, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Citric Acid, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba (Guar) Gum, Glyceryl Caprylate, Heliotropine, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Linalyl Acetate, Lysolecithin, Pullulan, Sclerotium Gum, Silica, Sodium Anisate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Levulinate, Squalane, Terpineol Alpha, Triethyl Citrate, Xanthan Gum, Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sorbic Acid, Amyl Cinnamal, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool
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 allergens on the EU list: Linalyl Acetate, Amyl Cinnamal, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool
- Essential oils and plant extracts on the EU list: Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Leaf Oil, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Pogostemon Cablin Oil
- Drying alcohol: Alcohol
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: Page copy does not say "broad spectrum", but the brand-hosted product image shows "broad spectrum spf 18" and a 2 fl oz (60 ml) size. Directions say to use a water-resistant sunscreen when swimming or sweating. "(1)" certified-organic markers removed.
Common questions about Alba Botanica Hydration Sensation Water Gel SPF 18
Is Alba Botanica Hydration Sensation Water Gel SPF 18 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 Alba Botanica Hydration Sensation Water Gel SPF 18 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, 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 Alba Botanica Hydration Sensation Water Gel SPF 18 not allowed?
Maui County: it contains avobenzone, octisalate and octocrylene, which are not allowed there. Hawaiʻi County (Big Island): it contains avobenzone, 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, octisalate and phenoxyethanol, which are not allowed there. Guam: it contains octocrylene, which is not allowed there.
Does Alba Botanica Hydration Sensation Water Gel SPF 18 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 Alba Botanica Hydration Sensation Water Gel SPF 18 a mineral or chemical sunscreen?
Chemical. Its UV filters are avobenzone 3%, octisalate 5% and octocrylene 10%.
Is Alba Botanica Hydration Sensation Water Gel SPF 18 water resistant?
No. It makes no water-resistance claim, so it isn’t meant for swimming or heavy sweating. Use a water-resistant sunscreen for time in the water.
Alternatives to Alba Botanica Hydration Sensation Water Gel SPF 18 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
