Sun creams made by three most popular brands in the UK were tested and found not to provide the sun protection they declare.
According to consumer watchdog Which?, 15 sun creams that claim they have SPF (sun protection factor) 30 were tested using strict British standards. Three popular products failed the tests twice. These were Piz Buin Ultra Light Dry Touch Sun Fluid with SPF30 150 ml, Malibu Protective Lotion with SPF30 200 ml and Hawaiian Tropic Satin Protection Ultra Radiance Sun Lotion with SPF30 200 ml.
These three products showed results lower than SPF 25 even if they claim to have SPF 30. On the second test to confirm the results, the same levels were revealed. Which? Branded these products as "don't buys" in the study.
The products offer protection against two kinds of UV radiation UVB and UVA. Both types of radiation are associated with skin cancer but UVB causes sunburn while UVA appears to cause premature skin aging. Sun creams are recommended to have UVA protection that is one third of the SPF value. The study showed that Malibu Protective Lotion SPF 30 was the lone product that failed the test for UVA protection as well.
Which? found that the most expensive sun screens do not offer better protection. The cheapest sun screen among the 15 products priced £1.20 per 100ml is Calypso Sun Lotion (250 ml) which passed both tests. The most expensive product was Piz Buin Ultra Light Dry Touch Sun Fluid priced £11.30 per 100 ml which did not pass the SPF British standard test.
Which? warned that it is important that people can trust the sun creams to protect them especially with thousands of skin cancer cases being diagnosed each year.
"We stand by our testing and are willing to have our formula tested again by any reputable UK testing house," Malibu's spokesperson said in a statement. The company said that it does not have anything to hide, guaranteeing that its files are available for examination and investigation of a legitimate authority.
Hawaiian Tropics commented that all products were thoroughly tested, adding that it only advertised products which met the label's SPF claim. Piz Buin said that all of its products were reviewed for efficacy and safety to comply with strict regulations.
