SIX POPULAR SUNSCREEN SPF CLAIMS FAIL NEW LAB TESTS: IS YOURS ON THE LIST?
Just as summer kicks off, another round of testing has raised questions about whether your sunscreen SPF is really what the label says.
Consumer NZ tested ten widely available sunscreens, and seven of them failed to meet the SPF claim on the bottle.
Seven of the products are also sold here, and six of those fell short of their SPF50+ claims, consumer group CHOICE has reported.
The good news is that all of them still passed broad-spectrum requirements and still gave high protection of SPF30 or more.
Which Sunscreens Missed Their SPF Claims?
To be labelled SPF50+ in Australia, a sunscreen needs to test at SPF60 or higher.
These are the Australian-sold products and the results they recorded in testing.
Marine Blue Dry Touch Sunscreen Lotion tested at SPF34, the lowest of the six.
Sun Bum Mineral tested at SPF38.
Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Sun Moist Serum tested at SPF41.
Invisible Zinc Sport Mineral Sunscreen tested at SPF42.
Le Tan Coconut Sunscreen Lotion tested at SPF46.
Natio Sun Quick Dry Moisturising Sunscreen tested at SPF47.
Cetaphil Sun Ultra Light Lotion was the only Australian-sold product in the group to meet its claim.
What The Brands Say
Responses from the brands varied.
Natio said its formula had been tested by three independent accredited labs, but it could not release those reports.
Invisible Zinc said it found the result surprising and that its formula had not changed since an earlier report from the same lab.
In New Zealand, the stockist of the Beauty of Joseon serum temporarily pulled it from sale while it is retested.
CHOICE also noted that the serum is not registered as a primary sunscreen on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods.
Le Tan and Marine Blue did not respond, according to CHOICE.
How The Testing Was Done
An accredited laboratory tested blind samples of each product.
Products that returned low early results then went through a full test on ten volunteers, using the Australian and New Zealand sunscreen standard.
CHOICE's Andy Kelly said the results have been referred to the Therapeutic Goods Administration to investigate.
The tests follow CHOICE's 2025 investigation, which found 16 of 20 sunscreens failed their claims and led to a number of products being pulled from shelves.
Last week the TGA also announced tougher rules for how sunscreens are tested before they go on sale.
Under the planned changes, brands will need to test the finished product more than once, keep testing through its shelf life and use internationally accredited labs.
CHOICE also wants test results to be made public, so shoppers can see the evidence for themselves.
Should You Throw Your Sunscreen SPF50+ Away?
Not necessarily.
Every product in this round still offered SPF30 or higher, which is considered high protection.
The bigger risk for most of us is not using enough, because the lab tests use a far thicker layer than most people apply at home.
Be generous, and use about a teaspoon for each arm, leg, front, back and face, including your neck and ears.
Reapply every two hours, and after swimming, sweating or towelling off.
Sun Safety Tips Beyond The Bottle
Sunscreen is only one layer of protection, so pair it with the other sun-smart habits.
Wear sun-protective clothing, a broad-brimmed hat and wraparound sunglasses.
Seek shade whenever the UV index is 3 or above, which in summer is most of the day.
Check that any sunscreen you buy carries an AUST L number on the pack, which shows it is registered with the TGA.
You can read the full results on the Consumer NZ website.
If you have concerns about a spot or mole, see your GP for a skin check.
