The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office has settled a consumer protection lawsuit against popular sunscreen company Sun Bum for advertising claims that misstated its actual impact on the ocean.
The judgment is the first obtained by any prosecutor against a major sunscreen manufacturer for “reef friendly” advertising.
“The toxic effects of chemical sunscreen ingredients on reefs and marine life have been documented for years in numerous articles and published scientific studies,” a DA’s Office spokesperson said in a release Monday.
The DA’s complaint against Sun Bum alleged that its advertising was false and misleading because chemicals in its sunscreen were harmful to reef ecosystems.
The settlement was approved by Judge Shella Deen on May 2: Sun Bum was ordered to pay $300,000 in civil penalties and to not advertise any of its chemical sunscreens as “reef friendly,” “reef compliant,” or with a drawing, symbol or photo of a coral reef.
“Consumers are looking for environmentally friendly products,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. “We are looking out for consumers and the environment by enforcing the law and correcting misleading claims.”
“Reef friendly” claims spread across the industry beginning in 2018, when the state of Hawaii passed a ban on two chemical ingredients—oxybenzone and octinoxate—that are harmful to reefs, prosecutors explained in the release, adding without these two chemicals, sunscreen makers began claiming their products were “reef friendly.”
Sun Bum’s advertising included “reef friendly” photo cards shipped to stores between 2018 and 2021 and were displayed for several years, the DA’s Office said.
According to authorities, Sun Bum cooperated with prosecutors, made changes to its advertising and agreed to remove “reef friendly” materials from stores.
Sun Bum also agreed to pay $25,000 to fund a reef restoration project in California by the nonprofit Fish Reef Project.
“Rocky reefs and kelp reefs are important marine habitats off the coast of California,” a DA’s Office spokesperson said.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office is also prosecuting the maker of Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic sunscreens for similar “reef friendly” advertising claims, in a court case that was filed on March 24.
I wish that Jeff Rosen would focus more on child abuse.
Watch a request for District Attorney Jeff Rosen to protect my children. It was just ignored.
https://youtu.be/7sy-bBU4KQs?t=733
There was also a follow-up email with the same result.
https://archive.is/w8lbP
By not addressing the sexual abuse of my kids, Jeff Rosen is allowing a child predator to volunteer at several schools across Cupertino and San Jose.
He puts the community in danger. I hope that he gets voted out of office.
“Consumers are looking for environmentally friendly products,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. “We are looking out for consumers and the environment by enforcing the law and correcting misleading claims.”
WHAT ABOUT CHILDREN?
CAN’T HE LOOK OUT FOR THEM, TOO?
Mr. Rosen is not acting because he has a conflict of interest. He lets the people sex trafficking my kids to assault me. This is because Valerie Houghton and James Towery are his political supporters. He gives them complete immunity to commit any crime that they want.
D.A. Rosen also abuses the legal process to cover up the child molestation. He is also absolving them from causing severe physical injuries to me.
You can read more information here, as well as pictures of some of my injuries:
https://www.scribd.com/document/628344196/Valerie-Runyan-Houghton-Therapist-Attorney-Divorce