Could suncream RAISE skin cancer risk?

Could suncream RAISE skin cancer risk? High factor lotion may NOT give expected protection.  However, the findings have been criticised by the boss of the Cosmetic, Toiletry & Perfumery Association, which said the claims are ‘not justified’ because the products were tested on people wearing clothes.

Which? found that the protection offered by Soltan Once Invisible 8hr Sun Protection SPF30 (200ml), Piz Buin 1 Day Long Lotion SPF30 (150ml), Riemann P20 Once a Day Sun Protection SPF30 (200ml) and UltraSun Family SPF30 (100ml) ‘decreased by an average of 74 per cent’ after six to eight hours.

The consumer group said the findings mean that over the course of a day, SPF30 ‘once-a-day’ sunscreen could drop to offer as little protection as SPF8.

Which? said it used British standard testing on the four products as well as a second test in which the sunscreens were applied to the backs of volunteers who spent a day in a laboratory.

They then tested the SPF again after six to eight hours, depending on amount of time each brand claimed people would be protected.

The watchdog also said similar once-a-day claims are not permitted in Australia, because they can lead consumers to believe the creams do not need to be regularly reapplied.

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Dr Noor Almaani, Consultant Dermatologist at The Private Clinic of Harley Street: “For continued sun protection, it is important to re-apply sun cream – this also applies to water-resistant sun cream and the so called once-a-day preparations as their efficacy will depend on whether the right amount is applied to give the protection specified on the bottle.

“Also sunscreens, particularly chemical absorbers, degrade gradually on sun-exposure with reduced effect and this applies to ‘once daily’ applications. In addition, water contact, sweating and rubbing will render the cream less effective and therefore ‘long-wear’ sunscreens can give a false sense of adequate protection with less careful sun protection practices.”