Stream2Sea, which offers reef-safe sunscreens, has become the first brand to officially join the Shark Allies’ Shark Free Products Campaign, according to  apress release. 

“More than three million deep-sea sharks are killed every year, in part for an oil called squalene contained in their livers,” said Autumn Blum, Stream2Sea founder and formulator. “Squalene is a wonderful natural ingredient, but only when its derived from sustainable sources like olives.”

Up to 100 million sharks are killed every year, mostly for their fins which are considered a delicacy in parts of Asia, the company said.

“That’s simply not a sustainable loss,” said Stefanie Brendl, founder and executive director of Shark Allies. “Over the last 30 years, some shark populations have declined by more than 90% and one-third of all shark species are threatened with extinction. As apex predators, sharks are critical to the survival of marine ecosystems around the world.”

Ironically, Brendl and Blum both built their organizations after “aha” moments in Palau. Blum saw a sheen of skincare products floating over a pristine coral reef; Brendl saw a boat returning to shore with dried shark fins hanging from its railings. Both returned to the states determined to help protect the planet’s waters in the best way they knew how.

Stream2Sea’s formulations have always contained squalene derived from olives but shark squalene is often less expensive and is often found in skincare products that don’t include information on its sourcing.

“This is another example of why reading labels is so important,” said Blum. “The government doesn’t require that brands identify where their squalene comes from, but we want customers to know that we are not part of an industry than kills three million animals a year.”

According to the company, unless a label clearly identifies a source for squalene, there’s a good chance that it came from sharks because it can be less expensive than squalene derived from other sources.

“Over time, we’re hoping that prices will drop as demand for vegetarian squalene increases,” Blum said.

The goal of the Shark Free Products Campaign is to educate consumers who typically have no idea where ingredients in their skincare products come from, Brendl added.

“Sometimes we get questions like ‘why is shark-free skincare important’ because most people don’t connect sharks with their favorite lotions or creams.”

Squalene, however, is such an effective moisturizer that Stream2Sea has expanded its product line to include 100% squalane drops.

“Squalene is actually a component of healthy human skin, so it absorbs quickly and penetrates outer layers of skin to provide lasting moisture,” Blum said. “But like collagen, natural levels of squalene decline as our skin ages, making it harder to maintain optimum levels of moisture and protect your skin.”