Is Black Girl Sunscreen Make It Matte SPF 45 Sunscreen 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 Make It Matte SPF 45 Sunscreen 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: homosalate 10%, octisalate 5%, octocrylene 10% and avobenzone 3%. It is a broad-spectrum facial sunscreen gel made by Black Girl Sunscreen and is water resistant for up to 80 minutes.
Sizes: 50 mL
Where Black Girl Sunscreen Make It Matte SPF 45 Sunscreen is allowed
| Location | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Maui County (Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi) | Not allowed | Homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene and avobenzone: not permitted actives (mineral only). |
| Hawaiʻi County (Big Island) | Not allowed | Homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene and avobenzone: 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Guidance and repealed rules (4)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 | Homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene and avobenzone: 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, octisalate and octocrylene: not mineral actives. |
| Key West, Florida | No rule in force |
Black Girl Sunscreen Make It Matte SPF 45 Sunscreen active ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Homosalate | 10% | Chemical |
| Octisalate | 5% | Chemical |
| Octocrylene | 10% | Chemical |
| Avobenzone | 3% | Chemical |
Black Girl Sunscreen Make It Matte SPF 45 Sunscreen inactive ingredients
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Diisopropyl Adipate, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate, Silica, Silica Silylate, Squalane, Tocopheryl Acetate, VP/Hexadecene Copolymer
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, Broad Spectrum SPF 45 and Water Resistant (80 minutes) from the brand page (a gel sunscreen for the face). Size (50 mL tube) from the DailyMed label (NDC 84204-0006, https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=2bc4b1b1-5f19-7ba3-e063-6394a90a5de7), which has the same actives and the same inactive ingredients in a different order; the brand page does not state the size. A second DailyMed filing titled 'Make it Matte' (NDC 84204-0005, https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=2bc47bd0-d81b-f1b9-e063-6394a90ad375) shows a different formula (Octocrylene 5%; inactives include Dimethicone Crosspolymer-3 and Isododecane) that the brand site does not sell. The brand also sells 'Make It Matte SPF 45 Sunscreen – Exclusive White Packaging' (https://blackgirlsunscreen.com/product/make-it-matte-spf-45-sunscreen-white/) with identical Drug Facts; not listed separately.
Common questions about Black Girl Sunscreen Make It Matte SPF 45 Sunscreen
Is Black Girl Sunscreen Make It Matte SPF 45 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, 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 Make It Matte SPF 45 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 homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene and avobenzone, 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 Make It Matte SPF 45 Sunscreen not allowed?
Maui County: it contains homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene and avobenzone, which are not allowed there. Hawaiʻi County (Big Island): it contains homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene and avobenzone, 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 Make It Matte SPF 45 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 Make It Matte SPF 45 Sunscreen a mineral or chemical sunscreen?
Chemical. Its UV filters are homosalate 10%, octisalate 5%, octocrylene 10% and avobenzone 3%.
Is Black Girl Sunscreen Make It Matte SPF 45 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 Make It Matte SPF 45 Sunscreen 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
