Is Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Defense Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 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
Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Defense Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 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 2%, homosalate 6% and octocrylene 6%. It is a broad-spectrum body sunscreen spray made by Banana Boat (Edgewell Personal Care Brands, LLC) and is water resistant for up to 80 minutes. Its FDA National Drug Code (NDC) is 63354-379.
Sizes: 6 oz
Where Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Defense Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 is allowed
| Location | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Maui County (Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi) | Not allowed | Avobenzone, homosalate and octocrylene: not permitted actives (mineral only). |
| Hawaiʻi County (Big Island) | Not allowed | Avobenzone, homosalate and octocrylene: not permitted actives (mineral only). |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | Not allowed | Octocrylene: banned by name. |
| Palau | Not allowed | Octocrylene, avobenzone and homosalate: 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Guidance and repealed rules (4)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, homosalate 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. Homosalate and octocrylene: not mineral actives. |
| Key West, Florida | No rule in force |
Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Defense Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 active ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Avobenzone | 2% | Chemical |
| Homosalate | 6% | Chemical |
| Octocrylene | 6% | Chemical |
Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Defense Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 inactive ingredients
Alcohol Denat., Isobutane, Isododecane, Diisopropyl Adipate, Caprylyl Glycol, Butyloctyl Salicylate, VA/Butyl Maleate/Isobornyl Acrylate Copolymer, Fragrance, Tocopheryl Acetate
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
- Drying alcohol: Alcohol Denat.
- Fragrance: listed as “Fragrance”. US labels don’t have to name the allergens inside a fragrance, so there may be more than this list shows.
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: bananaboat.com has no product pages (it links shoppers to Target, Walmart and Amazon), so the Drug Facts (actives and inactive list in label order) were taken from the manufacturer's FDA-filed label on DailyMed; no brand-hosted product image available. FDA SPL set ID 8b889b75-07ac-4276-e053-2a95a90a69c6 (label version effective 2024-10-27). FDA NDC listing shows a scheduled marketing end date of 2026-12-01 (being phased out).
Common questions about Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Defense Sunscreen Spray SPF 30
Is Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Defense Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 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 Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Defense Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 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, homosalate 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 Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Defense Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 not allowed?
Maui County: it contains avobenzone, homosalate and octocrylene, which are not allowed there. Hawaiʻi County (Big Island): it contains avobenzone, homosalate 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 and homosalate, which are not allowed there. Guam: it contains octocrylene, which is not allowed there.
Does Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Defense Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 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 Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Defense Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 a mineral or chemical sunscreen?
Chemical. Its UV filters are avobenzone 2%, homosalate 6% and octocrylene 6%.
Is Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Defense Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 water resistant?
Yes, for up to 80 minutes of swimming or sweating, according to its label. Reapply after 80 minutes in the water, immediately after towel drying, and at least every 2 hours.
What is the NDC for Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Defense Sunscreen Spray SPF 30?
Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Defense Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 is listed with the FDA under National Drug Code 63354-379. The NDC identifies this sunscreen on its FDA drug label (DailyMed); package sizes carry longer package NDCs.
Alternatives to Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Defense Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 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
Mineral SPF 30 Sunscreen Spray
Sensitive Mineral SPF 50 Spray
Sheer Mineral Sunscreen Spray SPF 30
Pure & Simple Mineral Sunscreen Spray SPF 50