Will my sunscreen protect me?

Will my sunscreen protect me this summer?

It’s summer, it’s hot. We know we should be ‘slip, slop, slapping’ when it comes to sun protection - it’s something that’s drilled into us as Australians. But sunscreens have been under a lot of scrutiny recently after consumer group CHOICE found some problems in various products. So, in this Squiz Shortcut, we'll get you across:

• what they’ve been looking at

• which sunscreens have been recalled

• and where the investigation is up to…

Prefer to listen or watch?

Listen to Larissa Moore and Claire Kimball cover this topic in this Squiz Shortcut podcast episode, or check it out on YouTube - and hit subscribe while you’re at it.

Listen time: 12 minutes

Squiz the Shortcut

Take me back to the start… When did we find out there were some issues with sunscreens?
Back in June, the consumer group CHOICE published a study it had done on popular brands of sunscreen, and the results were pretty damning…

What did they find?
Out of 20 well-known brands tested, only 4 were found to have the SPF (sun protection factor) they claimed. Among the brands that fell short were Cancer Council, Banana Boat, Bondi Sands, and Ultra Violette. It was a big deal, and not surprisingly, it made international headlines…

Why is sun safety so important for Aussies?
We’ve got one of the highest UV levels in the world - much higher than the Mediterranean or Europe - and stats show that 2 out of 3 Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer at some point in their lives. So, when we buy sunscreen, we want to be sure that it works…

What was the worst performer in the CHOICE study?
It was Ultra Violette's Lean Screen SPF 50+... It had an SPF of just 4. And because CHOICE was "so perturbed" by that result, they sent a different batch to an independent lab in Germany - and it came back as SPF 5.

What did the company say?
Ultra Violette initially defended the product, but after their own testing returned results ranging from SPF 4 to 64, they withdrew it from sale. After the CHOICE results came out, the group called on the TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) to take a closer look…

What is the TGA?
It’s the agency that oversees medicines and health-related products in Australia, making sure they're effective and safe. We’ve got some of the strictest sunscreen regulations in the world - we're one of the only countries that regulates them as therapeutic goods, not just cosmetics.

So, how does sunscreen testing actually work?
Under the standards set by the TGA, products have to be tested on at least 10 human volunteers in a lab. Researchers use a device called a solar simulator to measure how long it takes skin to redden where sunscreen has been applied, compared to unprotected skin. It's basically simulated sunburn.

Are the tests done locally?
A lot of products sold in Australia are tested overseas, but they still have to meet TGA standards. And this is where it gets interesting - because, since the CHOICE report and the subsequent TGA investigation, 21 sunscreen products have been recalled. They've all got one thing in common: a base formula produced by a lab in Perth called Wild Child Laboratories. But the TGA inspected Wild Child and says the lab itself isn't the issue. 

So, what’s causing the inconsistencies?
The problem seems to be with a testing lab in the UK called Princeton Consumer Research - at least 8 companies relied on it to support their SPF claims. There was a bombshell ABC report where two former employees blew the whistle on that lab’s testing methods, and it’s exposed an industry-wide problem with how the SPF of sunscreens get verified in the first place. 

What has been the fallout from all of this?
One result is that confidence in sunscreens among Aussies has taken a hit. A Nine poll in November showed only 5% of people were very confident about their sunscreen's SPF, and nearly 40% of Aussies are no longer sure their sunscreen can properly protect them.

How can I tell if my sunscreen is safe?
The TGA’s website has a running list of all of the sunscreen products it’s recalled. Some of the brands on there include Endota, Naked Sundays, McoBeauty, Ethical Zinc, and We Are Feel Good Inc. If you've got one of those, you can return it for a refund.

Should I stop wearing sunscreen?
The experts are very clear that you should keep wearing sunscreen. Skin specialist Dr Katie Lee points to a randomised controlled trial that found daily sunscreen use reduced squamous cell carcinomas by 40%, and melanomas by 73% after ten years. That study was done in the 90s using SPF 16 sunscreen - so even sub-par sunscreen by modern standards provides significant protection with daily use.

What should I look for when I’m buying sunscreen?
There are 4 non-negotiables: It needs to be SPF 30+ or 50+, broad spectrum so it filters both UVB and UVA rays, water-resistant for our sweaty, humid climate, and it should have the TGA approval mark on the packaging - that's "AUST L" followed by a number.

How about spray-on sunscreen?
We get that spray-on is easy to apply, but it’s not recommended because it’s hard to make sure you’ve applied enough. You need about one teaspoon of sunscreen each for your face and neck, your back, your chest and abdomen, and each arm and leg. That's more than most people use. And don’t forget ears, hands, feet and the back of your neck either - those are the spots people commonly miss. 

When should I apply it?
Around 20 minutes before you go out, and reapply every two hours - or after swimming or towel drying. And of course, sunscreen isn't a suit of armour - that’s where the rest of the Aussie mantra comes in: as well as slopping on sunscreen, slip on sun-protective clothing, slap on a hat, slide on sunnies and seek shade where you can.

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Onto our Recommendations

Reading: This article from The Conversation - Dr Katie Lee is from the Dermatology Research Centre at The University of Queensland. They know a thing or 2 about sun protection in the sunshine state. It’s about how to choose a good sunscreen. 

Watching: ABC TV’s 7.30 and their special report on allegations of questionable testing practices when it comes to giving sunscreen products their ratings… 

Checking: Here’s the CHOICE study and the TGA’s list of recalled products.

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