Korea Kolmar has established a testing system to verify the impact of sunscreens on marine ecosystems using coral.
The company announced on August 6 that it has passed the coral environmental toxicity test conducted by the French environmental toxicology assessment agency ReefTox.
Korea Kolmar explained that it is the first domestic cosmetics manufacturer to secure a toxicity testing system for sunscreens using coral.
ReefTox evaluates the impact on marine ecosystems by exposing cosmetic ingredients and finished products to coral for a specified period, measuring bleaching, tissue loss, and survival rates.
Depending on the product characteristics, tests may involve 12 or 50 types of coral, and the results will support environmental labeling for the products.
Last year, Korea Kolmar signed a memorandum of understanding with ReefTox to establish testing procedures applicable to its clients' products.
If the sunscreens developed and produced by Korea Kolmar pass the tests, they can display a certification mark. This allows consumers to easily verify the coral safety testing of the products, while clients can obtain objective test results to support their environmental claims.
Recently, Korea Kolmar conducted tests on one type each of inorganic and organic sunscreens. Both products were found to show no significant toxicity to coral under the testing conditions.
Based on this, Korea Kolmar plans to operate a support system connecting sunscreen formulation development with environmental toxicity testing for its clients.
Regulations on sunscreens to protect marine ecosystems have been tightening recently in the U.S., Europe (EU), and Australia. Following Palau's ban on certain sunscreen ingredients in 2020, interest in eco-friendly sun care products has been rising.
Korea Kolmar stated, "We plan to actively support our clients' entry into the global market based on this verification system."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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