How the ‘all-day’ suncreams can lose 74% of their power to protect
ONCE-A-DAY suncreams do not offer the protection stated on bottles, putting holidaymakers at risk of burning and worse, it has been claimed.
Following tests on four leading brands, consumer watchdog Which? has called for a ban on companies saying their product protects users from harmful rays all day, as is the case in Australia.
A further investigation found regular, cheap sunscreens to be just as effective as bigname products which can cost three times the price.
As a result, Which? has put a ‘Don’t buy’ warning on one Hawaiian Tropic suncream after it failed to deliver the sun protection factor (SPF) described – though the company rejected the finding.
Sunscreen that claims to offer all-day protection is appealing to holidaymakers, particularly parents, who would otherwise have the job of chasing children around the beach to slather on more coats.
The products tested were Boots Soltan Once Invisible 8hr Sun Protection SPF30, Piz Buin 1 Day Long Lotion SPF30, Riemann P20 Once a Day Sun Protection SPF30, and UltraSun Family SPF30. But Which? found the protection of these sunscreens decreased by an average of 74 per cent over six to eight hours.
In Australia, any creams that lead consumers to believe they do not need to be regularly reapplied are banned – something Which? wants to see in this country too.
Alex Neill, from Which?, said: ‘Our testing shows that these sunscreens just don’t live up to their once-a-day claims so people should reapply regularly to ensure they have protection from the sun.
‘With more than 100,000 people diagnosed with skin cancer in the UK each year, some manufacturers need to do more to ensure their sunscreens live up to the claims on the packaging.’
The British Association of Dermatologists said: ‘Over the course of a day sunscreen can be washed or wiped away, leaving our skin exposed. This is not to say that these “extended-wear” sunscreens shouldn’t be used at all, rather that they should be used similarly to other sunscreens.’ Cancer Research UK said: ‘The amount of protection you get depends on how well you put it on. It’s easy to miss bits when you’re applying sunscreen. Cancer Research UK recommends you reapply regularly to help get even coverage of your skin.’ As well as looking at four once-a- day products, Which? tested 11 standard sunscreens, all of which claimed an SPF of 30 – a measure of UVB pro- tection and ranges from 1 to 90. SPF provides a guide as to how long someone can stay in the sun without burning compared to not using any protection. Consequently, an SPF of 30 means you can be in the sun 30 times longer than when using nothing.
The cheapest sunscreen that passed the SPF test was Aldi’s Lacura Suncare Moisturising Sun Spray SPF30 at just £2.79 for a 200ml bottle. Other value options from Asda, Lidl and Wilko, also all offered the SPF claimed on the packs.
By contrast, the relatively expensive Hawaiian Tropic Satin Protection Ultra Radiance Lotion at £9 for a 180ml bottle twice failed to give the stated SPF protection.
Hawaiian Tropic rejected the findings and said the product had been tested by an independent, well-qualified lab in line with international standards.
The brand said it was absolutely confident in its own test results, which indicated the lotion exceeds its claimed SPF, adding that it stands behind all of its products.