Inaccurate SPF’s on Sunscreens
July 7, 2009 by Jo · Leave a Comment
Which? , the magazine of the consumer watchdog in the United Kingdom has issued a report highlighting the inaccuracy of the labeling of some skin care products.
Which? run an annual test of sunscreens and found this year that many sunscreens actually had a lower SPF than the one that was stated on the label. What was really disappointing was that there are repeat offenders here. Some of these companies are well known and were failed on the same test last year.
Some manufacturers have stated that their sunscreens have passed the Colipa guidelines the European Cosmetic,Toiletry and Perfumery Association.
Part of the problem seems to be that the guidelines are open to interpretation and that the same sunscreen tested by different scientists in different laboratories could well produce different results.
Although there were some sunscreens that exceeded the stated SPF the inconsistency means that the consumer cannot be 100% sure of the sunscreen they are using. Given the damage the sun can do to the skin this is a real worry.
Which? is pushing the manufacturer’s and Colipa to review the guidelines.