Is La Roche-Posay Anthelios UV Control Sunscreen 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
La Roche-Posay Anthelios UV Control Sunscreen 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 7%, octisalate 5% and octocrylene 7%. It is a broad-spectrum facial sunscreen lotion made by La Roche-Posay (L'Oréal USA Products, Inc.) and is not water resistant.
Where La Roche-Posay Anthelios UV Control Sunscreen 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Guidance and repealed rules (4)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 |
La Roche-Posay Anthelios UV Control Sunscreen SPF 50 active ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Avobenzone | 3% | Chemical |
| Homosalate | 7% | Chemical |
| Octisalate | 5% | Chemical |
| Octocrylene | 7% | Chemical |
La Roche-Posay Anthelios UV Control Sunscreen SPF 50 inactive ingredients
WATER, GLYCERIN, C15-19 ALKANE, PROPANEDIOL, C12-22 ALKYL ACRYLATE/HYDROXYETHYLACRYLATE COPOLYMER, TOCOPHEROL, AZELAIC ACID, SODIUM STEAROYL GLUTAMATE, CETEARYL ALCOHOL, SCLEROTIUM GUM, HYDROXYACETOPHENONE, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, SODIUM STARCH OCTENYLSUCCINATE, GLYCERYL STEARATE, JOJOBA ESTERS, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED WAX, HYDROXYPROPYL STARCH PHOSPHATE, TRISODIUM ETHYLENEDIAMINE DISUCCINATE, PENTYLENE GLYCOL, DIETHYLHEXYL SYRINGYLIDENEMALONATE, CASSIA ALATA LEAF EXTRACT, MALTODEXTRIN, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, POLYGLYCERIN-3, CITRIC ACID
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: Brand page spells homosalate as 'HOMOSOLATE'; normalised to Homosalate in activeIngredients. Trailing batch code '(F.I.L. ...)' on the brand page omitted.
Common questions about La Roche-Posay Anthelios UV Control Sunscreen SPF 50
Is La Roche-Posay Anthelios UV Control Sunscreen 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 La Roche-Posay Anthelios UV Control Sunscreen 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 La Roche-Posay Anthelios UV Control Sunscreen 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 La Roche-Posay Anthelios UV Control Sunscreen 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 La Roche-Posay Anthelios UV Control Sunscreen SPF 50 a mineral or chemical sunscreen?
Chemical. Its UV filters are avobenzone 3%, homosalate 7%, octisalate 5% and octocrylene 7%.
Is La Roche-Posay Anthelios UV Control Sunscreen SPF 50 water resistant?
No. It makes no water-resistance claim, so it isn’t meant for swimming or heavy sweating. Use a water-resistant sunscreen for time in the water.
Alternatives to La Roche-Posay Anthelios UV Control Sunscreen 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
Daily Moisturizer SPF 30
Thinksport SPF 50 Clear Zinc Face Sunscreen
SPF 30 Mineral Facial Sunscreen
Sheer Face Mineral SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion