Top sun cream brands don't give protection they claim, study reveals
Three well-known sun cream brands have been accused of not giving the protection that their products claim, a new study has revealed.
Sun creams from Tesco, Marks & Spencer and Malibu all failed in the study by Which? magazine, and were accused of not providing the protection that the bottles claimed.
The Which? panel of experts assessed 14 leading sun creams, which all claimed to be SPF15.
Products were tested to ensure they offered an average factor of 12.5, to take into account differences that may occur due to skin type.
Top buys included Asda Sun system, Garnier Ambre Solaire Clear Protect and Sainsbury's Sun Protect Lotion. With the supermarket products both costing just £3, Which? confirmed that the cheap brands worked just as well, if not better, than the more expensive.
The three failing products did not reach the survey's 12.5 standard, with M&S's scoring worst for its Sun Formula lotion, which was given an actual SPF of just 7.1.
M&S have contested the results, telling Which? that, 'This formulation has been tested to internationally recommended protocols. The test data shows that it provides SPF 15 protection.'
