Dive Deeper Blog

Day-to-Day Considerations for an EcoConscious Consumer

August 30, 2018
Everything you put on your body ends up in the ocean. The shampoo you use, the lotion you lather on, the conditioner that keeps your hair healthy – very few of the ingredients in these products are captured in wastewater treatment plants.

Those treatment plants, of course, dump treated effluent in rivers and streams that run to oceans, potentially creating destruction all along the way.

Scientists call them “contaminants of emerging concern” partially because they’re not 100% sure exactly what happens to them in the human body or the environment. Most facilities don’t even try to measure these contaminants in treated wastewater. Initial research into treating high-profile ingredients like oxybenzone shows some success, but also points out that it has a half-life of more than four years in freshwater. What’s really scary to me as a chemist and a diver is that we know so little about what ingredients are doing once they’re released into the aquatic ecosystem. My very first toxicity trial with Stream2Sea was a shampoo formulated with only EcoCert™ approved ingredients. It failed miserably. I just knew this formula would pass – it only used ingredients that were known to be safe for us – and was horrified when I learned it wasn’t. Of course, we focus a lot of our time on reef-safe products for divers because that’s my personal passion.  But it really doesn’t make any difference if you’re an adventurer, a gardener, a surfer, a sportsman or a beach-lover. The only important thing is that you’re someone who cares what happens to our planet, particularly our waters.

At this point, Stream2Sea is the only line of personal care products formulated to health food standards that have been third-party tested and proven safe in aquatic and marine ecosystems.

So as sunscreen becomes a summer memory, we wanted to remind you that we are not just sunscreen and our products are not just for when you are on the water.  As our name implies, all streams run to the sea, and all our wastewater eventually runs there as well. Now is a perfect time to take advantage of our special end-of-summer sale, focusing on our ecoconscious body lotion, conditioner and shampoo. The final formula did end up with happy, healthy fish in our tank, of course! As always, I am so grateful to have YOU as not just a customer, but as an advocate.  Stream2Sea is growing fast, far and wide because of all the passionate advocates helping to share our message that what we put on our bodies DOES make a difference.  

From the streams to the seas, we are all connected.  Thank you!

#TreatYourself to EcoConscious SPF 20 and SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen that you can use as daily moisturizer all year round!

Take 20% OFF with coupon code

LABORDAY

This lightweight formula blends well with most skin tones and will leave you feeling protected and confident about your EcoConscious choices. Plus, it won’t leave that characteristic white sheen typical of mineral sunscreens!

Offer valid on one Full-Size Tinted Sunscreen

READ MORE!

Nano-Particles are No Nos!

Nano-Particles are No Nos!

Environmentally conscious consumers are seeking out mineral sunscreens - and are learning they cannot just trust what is on the front of a label.   What we now need you to know is that not all mineral sunscreens are created equally.  Just because a...

Why We Use Ocean Bound Plastic Packaging

Why We Use Ocean Bound Plastic Packaging

One of my favorite quotes is from Maya Angelou: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” This brings me to our newest initiative – using containers created from ocean-bound plastic. “Do the best you can until you know better....

Why the USDA BioBased Certification is so Important

Why the USDA BioBased Certification is so Important

In 2023, I spent several weeks and several thousand dollars working to get our products included in the USDA’s new BioBased Certification program. Still, not everyone on my team understood why I thought it was important. In the process of explaining it to them, I...

Loading...