Is Black Girl Sunscreen BGS Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen Reef Safe?
Not everywhere. Allowed in 6 of 9 places we track. See why
- Allowed: Hawaii
- Not allowed: Maui County
- Not allowed: Hawaiʻi County
- Allowed: U.S. Virgin Islands
- Not allowed: Palau
- Allowed: Aruba
- Allowed: Guam
- Allowed: Northern Mariana Islands
- Allowed: Thailand
Black Girl Sunscreen BGS Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen is allowed under the sunscreen laws of Hawaii statewide, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Aruba, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and Thailand's national parks, but not in Maui County, Hawaiʻi County (Big Island) and Palau. It uses three chemical UV filters: avobenzone 3%, homosalate 15% and octisalate 5%. It is a broad-spectrum sunscreen for kids lotion made by Black Girl Sunscreen and is water resistant for up to 80 minutes.
Sizes: 3 fl oz · 6 fl oz
Where Black Girl Sunscreen BGS Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen is allowed
| Location | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Maui County (Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi) | Not allowed | Avobenzone, homosalate and octisalate: not permitted actives (mineral only). |
| Hawaiʻi County (Big Island) | Not allowed | Avobenzone, homosalate and octisalate: not permitted actives (mineral only). |
| Palau | Not allowed | Avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate and phenoxyethanol: banned by name. |
| Hawaii (statewide) | Allowed | No restricted ingredients found. |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | Allowed | No restricted ingredients found. |
| Aruba | Allowed | No restricted ingredients found. |
| Guam | 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Guidance and repealed rules (4)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 octisalate: 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 octisalate: not mineral actives. |
| Key West, Florida | No rule in force |
Black Girl Sunscreen BGS Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen active ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Avobenzone | 3% | Chemical |
| Homosalate | 15% | Chemical |
| Octisalate | 5% | Chemical |
Black Girl Sunscreen BGS Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen inactive ingredients
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Acrylates/C12-22 Alkyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Carbomer, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Lecithin, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Propylene Glycol, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbitan Oleate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Water
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
None of the 80 fragrance allergens on the EU list appear on this label, and it lists no fragrance, essential oil or drying 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: Ingredients and sizes from the brand page; 'water resistant for 80 minutes' in the page copy and Drug Facts directions. Broad Spectrum from the DailyMed label (NDC 84204-0004, https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=2bc471f0-c93e-0c51-e063-6394a90a77f0). The brand page misspells the first inactive as 'Acrlates/C10-30 Alkyl Acryate Crosspolmer' and writes 'Persea Gratissima (Avocado Oil)'; the DailyMed spellings are used here, the lists are otherwise identical. A 'BGS Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen (CANADA)' listing (https://blackgirlsunscreen.com/product/bgs-kids-spf-50-sunscreen/) has the same Drug Facts; not listed separately.
Common questions about Black Girl Sunscreen BGS Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen
Is Black Girl Sunscreen BGS Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen 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, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Aruba, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and Thailand's national parks, but not in Maui County, Hawaiʻi County (Big Island) and Palau. 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 Black Girl Sunscreen BGS Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen 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 octisalate, 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 Black Girl Sunscreen BGS Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen not allowed?
Maui County: it contains avobenzone, homosalate and octisalate, which are not allowed there. Hawaiʻi County (Big Island): it contains avobenzone, homosalate and octisalate, which are not allowed there. Palau: it contains avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate and phenoxyethanol, which are not allowed there.
Does Black Girl Sunscreen BGS Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen 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 Black Girl Sunscreen BGS Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen a mineral or chemical sunscreen?
Chemical. Its UV filters are avobenzone 3%, homosalate 15% and octisalate 5%.
Is Black Girl Sunscreen BGS Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen 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.
Alternatives to Black Girl Sunscreen BGS Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen for Maui County, Hawaiʻi County (Big Island) and Palau
Mineral sunscreens from other brands, allowed in all 3 places, ranked by label: water resistance, SPF 30–50, broad spectrum, no listed fragrance. How we rank
Think Kids Safe Sunscreen SPF 50+
Kids Roll-On Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50
Kids Mineral Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50
Kids Mineral SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion