Sunscreens May Be Overstating SPF Protection
The SPF number on your sunscreen bottle may be lying to you. Or at least that is what a recently published study would lead us to believe.
Researchers from the Environmental Working Group evaluated 51 sunscreens sold in the US. The sunscreens' SPF values were tested using both laboratory-measured UV absorption and computer modeling. Measured results were awful at an average of between just 59 and 42 percent of the labeled SPF.
UVA, specifically, faired even worse. The sunscreens tested showed an average UVA protection of just 24% of the labeled SPF.
A new study finds that #sunscreens tested in a lab provided a meager 24% of the UVA protection when compared to the SPF on the label. That’s much lower than what’s required of sunscreens sold in Europe. #SunscreensMadeSafer https://t.co/G2QwHtxava
— EWG (@ewg) October 19, 2021
These findings come just months after the FDA took steps to improve the quality, safety, and efficacy of sunscreens sold in the US. It will be interesting to see if this study impacts the FDA’s plans.
It is important to choose only top-quality sunscreen products.
