Is COOLA Refreshing Water Cream SPF 50 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
COOLA Refreshing Water Cream SPF 50 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: avobenzone 3%, homosalate 5%, octisalate 3% and octocrylene 5%. It is a facial sunscreen cream made by COOLA. Its FDA National Drug Code (NDC) is 79753-020.
Sizes: 1.5 oz
Where COOLA Refreshing Water Cream SPF 50 is allowed
| Location | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Maui County (Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi) | Not allowed | Avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate and octocrylene: not permitted actives (mineral only). |
| Hawaiʻi County (Big Island) | Not allowed | Avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate and octocrylene: 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Guidance and repealed rules (4)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 | Avobenzone, homosalate, 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. Homosalate, octisalate and octocrylene: not mineral actives. |
| Key West, Florida | No rule in force |
COOLA Refreshing Water Cream SPF 50 active ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Avobenzone | 3% | Chemical |
| Homosalate | 5% | Chemical |
| Octisalate | 3% | Chemical |
| Octocrylene | 5% | Chemical |
COOLA Refreshing Water Cream SPF 50 inactive ingredients
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (ORGANIC), Glycerin (ORGANIC), Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Oleosomes (ORGANIC), Adipic Acid/Diglycol Crosspolymer, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Isododecane, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Glyceryl Stearate, Water, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Water (ORGANIC), Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Jasminum Sambac (Jasmine) Leaf Cell Extract, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Extract, Schinus Molle Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Ocimum Basilicum (Basil) Flower/Leaf Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Benzoate, Methylbenzyl Acetate*, Benzyl Acetate*, Juniperus Mexicana, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Lecithin, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Gluconolactone, Citric Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Bisabolol, Xanthan Gum, Delta-Decalactone*, Ethyl Buryate*, Gamma-Nonalactone*, Gamma-Octalactone*, Methyl Anthranilate*, Methyl Benzoate*, Mimosa Tenuiflora Bark Extract, Nerolidol, Phenethyl Alcohol*, Heliotropine*, Anisaldehyde*, Triethyl Citrate*, Vanillin*
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: Vanillin*
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: Brand page footnote (not listed as separate ingredients here): '*Plant-Derived Fragrance Constituent'. Broad Spectrum not stated on the brand page (recorded false; confirm against packaging).
Common questions about COOLA Refreshing Water Cream SPF 50
Is COOLA Refreshing Water Cream SPF 50 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 COOLA Refreshing Water Cream SPF 50 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, 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 COOLA Refreshing Water Cream SPF 50 not allowed?
Maui County: it contains avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate and octocrylene, which are not allowed there. Hawaiʻi County (Big Island): it contains avobenzone, homosalate, 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, homosalate and octisalate, which are not allowed there. Guam: it contains octocrylene, which is not allowed there.
Does COOLA Refreshing Water Cream SPF 50 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 COOLA Refreshing Water Cream SPF 50 a mineral or chemical sunscreen?
Chemical. Its UV filters are avobenzone 3%, homosalate 5%, octisalate 3% and octocrylene 5%.
What is the NDC and UPC for COOLA Refreshing Water Cream SPF 50?
COOLA Refreshing Water Cream SPF 50 is listed with the FDA under National Drug Code 79753-020, and its UPC barcode is 850008614514. The NDC identifies this sunscreen on its FDA drug label (DailyMed); package sizes carry longer package NDCs.
Alternatives to COOLA Refreshing Water Cream SPF 50 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 Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30
Daily Sunscreen for Sensitive Skin SPF 30
SPF 50 Anti-Aging Daily Mineral Sunscreen Facial Moisturizer
Bright-Eyed Mineral Eye Cream SPF 40