- Luke Taylor
- Rio de Janeiro
Defective sunscreens sold in Australia and exported to other countries offered as little as a 10th of the sun protection factor (SPF) stated on their labels, Australian regulators have said.
The affected products are sold by leading brands such as Bondi Sands, Banana Boat, and Cancer Council and were passed by an international network of laboratories headquartered in the UK. At least 18 products have been withdrawn from sale in Australia, with manufacturing of some also halted as authorities continue to investigate.
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), which regulates the sunscreen industry in the country, said a defective base formula was found to have been used in at least 21 different products. In a statement it said, “Preliminary testing indicates that this base formulation is unlikely to have an SPF greater than 21.”1
Seven of the “SPF 50” products had an SPF <20 in tests, and Lean Screen, a sunscreen rated 50, tested in independent laboratories at as low as 4.2
Sunscreens are regulated as a therapeutic good in Australia, meaning they are subject to …
