Cancer Council slapped over its sloppy sunscreen products
Sunscreen makers defended their products but said they would order further independent testing.
Sixteen of 20 sunscreens labelled as sun protection factor 50 offer significantly less protection, including Cancer Council products, says consumer advocacy group Choice.
Choice says the dismal results — including one sunscreen it said had a sun protection factor (SPF) of 4 — mean the TGA should conduct its own testing and stop relying on companies-submitted reports from credentialled laboratories.
SPF is a measure of the fraction of UV rays that reach the skin when sunscreen is applied at 2mg/sq cm.
“Chemical” sunscreens containing substances that absorb UV radiation, such as benzophenones and cinnamates, the concentration of which shapes the SPF.
