Every year, anywhere from 6,660 to 15,400 tons of commercial sunscreen winds up in the planet’s oceans. The secret weapon is flower pollen, according to their study recently published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials. But all that protective lotion washes off your body throughout the day, especially when swimming if sunscreen is not reapplied . Instead of using high heat and harsh chemicals to separate the innards of camellia (Camellia sinensis) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus) pollen from their shells, the team used a more gentle water-based process. Pollen naturally absorbs less energy in the visible-to-near-infrared spectrum, which are the wavelengths mainly responsible for generating heat.