Pricey, brand name sun shields not living up to repute

Eighty percent of sunscreen products Consumer Council tested fail to live up to their sun protection claims.

The watchdog has tested 30 types of sunscreen products and found 25 to have failed their claims. Among them, four were found to have SPF values below 15.

The level of protection of sunscreens is measured by its Sun Protection Factor (SPF), where SPF value of 15 is generally adequate for most purposes for protection against ultra-violet radiation from sunlight, said the council.

The four includes, Curel UV Protection Essence SPF30, SOFINA beaute UV cut emulsion SPF30, Fancl Sunguard 50+ Protect SPF50+, and BIO-ESSENCE Bio-Water Sunscreen SPF50+. The products were tested with SPFs ranging from 9.8 to 14.3.

The council also found out that some sunscreen products selling for below HK$100 were better than some products selling for HK$550 in terms of sun protection.

Among 30 samples ranging from HK$80 to HK$550, the NIVEA Sun Protect & Refresh Lotion SPF50 selling for HK$85 is graded the highest mark of 5, while the most expensive sample only recorded a mark of 3.5.

The council reminded consumers that the price of products is not positively correlated to the effectiveness of the sunscreens.

FANCL has since released a statement expressing its regret over the approach the council has taken for its test report on sunscreen products.

The company said the council has ignored international literature and expert opinions, and the use of test results from a single laboratory is an unfair evaluation for the tested products.

They commented that such an approach creates misunderstanding over the reliability of the tested products and the brands involved.