Is Black Girl Sunscreen BGS Sun Ready Stick 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
Black Girl Sunscreen BGS Sun Ready Stick 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 four chemical UV filters: octisalate 5%, avobenzone 3%, octocrylene 10% and homosalate 10%. It is a broad-spectrum facial sunscreen stick made by Black Girl Sunscreen and is water resistant for up to 80 minutes.
Sizes: 0.65 oz (18 g)
Where Black Girl Sunscreen BGS Sun Ready Stick SPF 30 is allowed
| Location | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Maui County (Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi) | Not allowed | Octisalate, avobenzone, octocrylene and homosalate: not permitted actives (mineral only). |
| Hawaiʻi County (Big Island) | Not allowed | Octisalate, avobenzone, octocrylene and homosalate: not permitted actives (mineral only). |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | Not allowed | Octocrylene: banned by name. |
| Palau | Not allowed | Octocrylene, avobenzone, homosalate and octisalate: 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Guidance and repealed rules (4)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 | Octisalate, avobenzone, octocrylene and homosalate: 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, octocrylene and homosalate: not mineral actives. |
| Key West, Florida | No rule in force |
Black Girl Sunscreen BGS Sun Ready Stick SPF 30 active ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Octisalate | 5% | Chemical |
| Avobenzone | 3% | Chemical |
| Octocrylene | 10% | Chemical |
| Homosalate | 10% | Chemical |
Black Girl Sunscreen BGS Sun Ready Stick SPF 30 inactive ingredients
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Humulus Lupulus (Hops) Extract, Lauric Acid, Myristic Acid, Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate, Ozokerite, Palmitic Acid, Polyethylene, Silica, Stearic Acid, Synthetic Beeswax
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 from the brand page; Broad Spectrum SPF 30, Water Resistant (80 minutes), face sunscreen and 0.65 oz (18 g) from the brand's product image and page copy. The DailyMed filing (NDC 84204-0015, https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=fed22570-e0ae-43e1-b6ce-1f0ad01684c3) is titled 'Black Girl Sunscreen SPF 50 Stick' and its label artwork reads SPF 50, with the same actives and the same inactive list (spelled 'Candililla'); the brand page and current packaging say SPF 30, used here.
Common questions about Black Girl Sunscreen BGS Sun Ready Stick SPF 30
Is Black Girl Sunscreen BGS Sun Ready Stick 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 Black Girl Sunscreen BGS Sun Ready Stick 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 octisalate, avobenzone, octocrylene and homosalate, 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 Sun Ready Stick SPF 30 not allowed?
Maui County: it contains octisalate, avobenzone, octocrylene and homosalate, which are not allowed there. Hawaiʻi County (Big Island): it contains octisalate, avobenzone, octocrylene and homosalate, which are not allowed there. The U.S. Virgin Islands: it contains octocrylene, which is not allowed there. Palau: it contains octocrylene, avobenzone, homosalate and octisalate, which are not allowed there. Guam: it contains octocrylene, which is not allowed there.
Does Black Girl Sunscreen BGS Sun Ready Stick 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 Black Girl Sunscreen BGS Sun Ready Stick SPF 30 a mineral or chemical sunscreen?
Chemical. Its UV filters are octisalate 5%, avobenzone 3%, octocrylene 10% and homosalate 10%.
Is Black Girl Sunscreen BGS Sun Ready Stick 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.
Alternatives to Black Girl Sunscreen BGS Sun Ready Stick 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
Face Stick SPF 30
Mineral Sunscreen Face Stick SPF 50
Mineral SPF 50 Sunscreen Face Stick
Mineral Sunscreen Face Stick (sport stick) SPF 40+