Research by consumer group Which? found two sun creams that failed its safety checks – plus others that others, including budget brands that passed with flying colours
A popular sun cream aimed at families with a £28 price tag has failed safety tests.
Consumer group Which? urged shoppers to avoid the product – Ultrasun Family SPF30 – while also revealing supermarket alternatives at a fraction of the price had passed with flying colours.
The results are especially timely, given Britain is in the grip of a heatwave and people will be rushing to buy sun block. Which? found the Ultrasun product – which comes in a 150ml bottle and is marketed as being “perfect for the whole family” and “especially suitable for children and those with sensitive skin” – failed to meet minimum UVA (ultraviolet A) protection levels. Ultrasun’s UVA score was 9.1 and 9.5 in a retest.
It needed to be 10 or more to pass. It did, however, pass for the alternative UVB protection. Another sun block that failed was Morrisons’ Moisturising Sun Spray SPF30 at £3.75 for a 200ml bottle.
It passed for UVA protection but came up short for SPF (sun protection factor) against UVB. Like the Ultrasun product, Which? labelled it a “don’t buy”.
As part of an annual exercise, the group carried out lab tests on 15 popular sun creams using what it says were industry-recognised methods. If a product failed on a first test, it was repeated. If it passed the second time, a third test will be done. But if a product failed the SPF or UVA twice overall, it became a ‘don’t buy’.
Among those that passed was budget supermarket Aldi’s Lacura Sensitive Sun Lotion SPF50+, which costs just £2.99 for 200ml. Researchers found it protected skin from both UVA and UVB rays, as claimed.
At £1.50 per 100ml – six times less than Ultrasun – the product also earned a Which? Great Value badge. Another given the same rating was rival Lidl’s Cien Sun Spray 30 SPF High, at £3.79 for 200ml.
Natalie Hitchins, Which? head of home products and services, said: “It’s really concerning that widely available sunscreens could be putting families at risk by failing to offer the level of sun protection claimed on the packaging.
While shoppers should avoid buying our Don’t Buys, our results prove that there’s no need to splash out to keep you and your loved ones safe in the sun as we’ve found cheap reliable options at Aldi and Lidl.”
A spokesperson from Ultrasun told Which? it was fully confident in its testing protocols and that its detailed testing processes continued to not only meet, but surpass industry standards.
It stated that its chosen testing protocol is one of the strictest available. Morrisons told Which? that it’s looking closely at the data and working with its supplier to carry out additional independent testing.
Full list
‘Don’t Buys’
- Morrisons Moisturising Sun Spray SPF30, £3.75/200ml
- Ultrasun Family SPF30, £28/150ml
Passes
SPF30 sunscreens
- Boots Soltan Protect & Moisturise Suncare Lotion, £5.50/200ml
- Boots Soltan Protect & Moisturise Suncare Spray SPF30, £5.50/200ml
- Nivea Sun Protect & Moisture Lotion SPF30, £7.90/200ml
- Lidl Cien Sun Protect Spray SPF30 High, £3.79/200ml
- Sainsbury’s Sun Protect Moisturising Lotion SPF30, £5.50/200ml
- Superdrug Solait Sun Spray SPF30, £5.50/200ml
SPF50/50+ sunscreens
- Garnier Ambre Solaire Sensitive Advanced Sun Spray SPF 50+, £11/150ml
- Sainsbury’s Sun ProtectMoisturising Spray Lotion SPF50+, £5.75/200ml
- Aldi Lacura Sensitive Sun Lotion SPF50+, £2.99/200ml
- Boots Soltan Protect & Moisturise Suncare Lotion SPF50+, £5.50/200ml
- Nivea Sun Protect & Moisture Spray SPF50+, £7.90/200ml
SPF50/50+ kids sunscreens
- Childs Farm Sun Cream Fragrance-Free SPF50+, £12/200ml
- Soltan Kids Protect & Moisturise Lotion SPF50+, £5.50/200ml