A new test conducted by Choice, an Australian consumer advocacy group, has ignited a devastating war on the sunscreen industry. The attention today is on Ultra Violette’s Lean Screen SPF 50+ Mineral Mattifying Zinc Sunscreen. The product—which went through an intense testing process—earned a lackluster SPF rating of only 5. It’s a troubling outcome that speaks to the lack of transparency and accountability in sunscreen testing practices.
Choice tested 20 SPFs of at least SPF 50. They discovered that only four of these products were truly living up to their SPF claims. Alarmingly, 16 products didn’t even provide the level of protection they claimed to provide, raising serious questions about whether consumers can trust sunscreen products. Ultra Violette, on the other hand, is disputing these conclusions, claiming that the testing methods used by Choice were faulty.
Ava Chandler-Matthews, co-founder of Ultra Violette, stood up to Choice’s testing model. She made the point that such a small batch size completely undercuts the reliability of those results. She stated, “Two blind tests with a very small sample size are not substantial in comparison to the extensive rounds of testing with supporting documentation Ultra Violette have conducted in accordance with the TGA [Therapeutic Goods Administration] testing guidelines.”
Choice carried out its test in a third-party laboratory, which had advanced specialized knowledge and machinery. The sunscreens were then transferred into amber glass jars, sealed, labeled, and transported by an accredited lab in Sydney. To make sure the blind test was as unbiased as possible, a panel of ten people blind-tested the products.
Ultra Violette really put their testing methods through the wringer. Their retest of the same batch tested by Choice resulted in a fantastic SPF score of 61.7. Yet, this alarming disparity has forced the company to doubt the credibility of Choice’s results. In a statement on its website, Ultra Violette asserted that “Lean Screen contains 22.75 per cent zinc oxide, a level at which, when applied sufficiently, would render a testing result of SPF4 scientifically impossible.”
Michelle Wong, a sunscreen researcher and science communicator, recently tweeted about how SPF ratings are misleading by design. She noted that many consumers misunderstand what SPF numbers mean, saying, “I think a lot of people expect that SPF is a very solid number when in reality it’s not.” Wong said that it’s the approach to application that plays a large role in how effective sunscreen can be. For instance, she pointed out that applying half of an SPF 50 sunscreen would yield an effective SPF of only 25.
As Wong explained, protective benefits are highest if you apply the recommended amounts of sunscreen, 1 ounce or a shot-glass-full to your body. She stated, “If you apply enough of the recommended amount [of sunscreen], then anything above SPF30 is going to give a lot of protection.”
Chandler-Matthews echoed Wong’s sentiments on implementation approaches. He underscored the importance of not disrupting the integrity of the sunscreen layer so you don’t interrupt protection. She remarked, “The protection you get from a sunscreen depends a lot on how intact that sunscreen layer is. To make a sunscreen stay on your skin in an intact layer, a lot of the time you have to sacrifice texture.”
Ashley de Silva of Choice came to the defense of their testing procedures and results. “CHOICE stands by its rigorous, independent sunscreen testing, conducted under the guidance of industry experts in specialised, accredited laboratories,” he stated.
This ongoing debate has raised broader questions about consumers’ understanding of SPF ratings and how they relate to actual sun protection. Many individuals may not realize that various factors, such as application technique and product formulation, can significantly influence a sunscreen’s performance.
Indeed, Wong noted, there’s an important communication issue around water resistance in sunscreens. She explained that consumers should consider this feature when choosing a product for prolonged exposure to sun and water activities: “If you are getting lots of exposure, generally water resistance is a good thing to look for because that means it’s been tested in quite extreme conditions.”
Consumers are left in the dark on potentially dangerous conflicting claims and scientific findings on sunscreen. It’s important they get a full picture—that they learn how to use it appropriately, even how to avoid the things that might undermine its positive impact.
