If you’re making the most of the warmer weather, be careful what sunscreen you apply.
Three popular products have failed the annual safety test by consumer group Which?.
Asda, Calypso and Bondi Sands products failed the watchdog’s tests to assess their SPF (sun protection factor) and UVA protection.
Calypso Press & Protect sun lotion, which costs £8 for 200ml, “barely met” two-thirds of its claimed SPF 30 in both tests.
Asda’s Protect SPF 30 High Moisturizing Sun Lotion (£2.80 for 200ml) failed both rounds of testing.
And Bondi Sands Fragrance-Free Facial Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50+ (£7.99 for 75ml) “didn’t come close” to the claimed SPF or minimum required UVA protection.
Asda, Calypso and Bondi Sands products failed the watchdog’s tests to assess their SPF (sun protection factor) and UVA protection.
People relaxing in the warm weather in St James’s Park in London
A young woman sunbathing in a sunny Greenwich park in London
The weather forecast will also please the 200,000 music lovers attending Glastonbury next week (fans will enjoy a performance at Glastonbury 2023)
However, Lidl’s Cien Sun Spray SPF 30, which costs £3.29 for 200ml, “triumphed” in the tests and did an “excellent job all round”.
Aldi’s Lacura SPF 30 Sun Lotion (£2.49 for 200ml) also passed the SPF and UVA tests.
Lidl’s Cien Kids Sensitive Sunscreen Spray 50+ (£3.29 for 200ml) was also proven to live up to its SPF and UVA protection claims.
Six products were named Best Buys by Which? this year. These passed crucial SPF and UVA tests, and were also rated well for their ease of application and absorbency by the panel of testers.
Which? has launched a new ‘Test Pass’ endorsement that shows when a sunscreen has provided the claimed levels of UVA and UVB protection in internationally recognized tests.
Some of the SPF30 passes include Boots’ Soltan Protect & Moisturise spray for £4.50 for a 200ml bottle; Nivea Sun Protect & Moisture for £7.90 per 200ml bottle; Piz Buin Sun Moisturizing Sun Lotion for £6.50 per 200ml bottle and Sainsbury’s Sun Protect Moisturizing Sun Lotion for £5.50 per 200ml bottle.
Some of the SPF50 passes include Garnier Ambre Solaire Kids Waterproof Spray for £8 per 150ml bottle; Nivea Sun Kids Protect & Care Color Spray for £7 per 200ml bottle; Child’s Farm 50+ SPF Sun Lotion Spray for £12 per 100ml bottle and Ultrasun Kids SPF50+ for £32 per 150ml bottle.
Natalie Hitchins, from Which?, said: ‘It is incredibly worrying that some big brands have failed our tests and failed to offer the level of sun protection claimed. However, it is great to see cheaper, high-quality sunscreen options available.”
Calypso said its product exceeded EU standards and regulations in independent tests.
An Asda spokesperson commented: ‘Our Asda Protect SPF 30 High Moisturizing Sun Lotion was recently re-tested by a leading third-party supplier using internationally recognized testing methods.
These results confirmed that this product has a sun protection factor of 31.5 and therefore we do not recognize the test results. Which? Has published.’
Bondi Sands did not respond to a request for comment.