Sun creams fail their SPF claims

Tests carried out by consumer watchdog Which? have proved that top sun cream products are failing to live up to their own claims of advanced protection.

Products by Malibu, Piz Buin and Hawaiian Tropic were given a ‘don’t buy’ rating by independent reviewer Which?

Which? tested 15 popular sun cream products that claimed to offer an SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of 30, as well as shielding the wearer from harmful UVA rays.

However, the Malibu, Piz Buin and Hawaiian Tropic products fell short of what they advertise, with each of them having an SPF of 25 or less rather than 30.

Which? Executive Director, Richard Lloyd said: “We found three products from three big brands that don’t live up to the claims made by the manufacturer.

“Consumers will be rightly worried that products of this kind that are meant to protect you from sunburn, with thousands and thousands of cases of people now getting skin cancer aren’t living up to the very strict British standards that we tested them against.

“The manufacturers now need to reassure the public that their products are good to use and in the meantime we recommend to people that they don’t buy these three products.”

The study has highlighted the fact that spending more on expensive sun creams does not always guarantee better sun protection.

With summer – and warmer weather – on the way, a skin cancer warning has been raised by Which? following the results.  

Sun exposure is heavily linked to premature ageing, as well as skin cancer, with over 100,000 cases diagnosed in the UK annually.