Sunscreen claims: European Commission launches campaign to improve awareness, labelling
Holidaymakers need to know more about what sunscreen products can and can’t do to protect their skin, the European Commission said on Thursday. That is the thinking behind a new initiative to raise awareness and improve labelling on products.
Over 70,000 new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the United Kingdom every year, and more people die of the disease here than in Australia, which has more cases of the disease, according to Cancer Research UK.
The so-called sun protection factor (SFP) featured on sunscreen labels only offers protection against one of two types of hazardous UV radiation: UVB, which causes sunburn. But it is UVA radiation which causes premature skin ageing, interferes with the human immune system, and is an important contributor to skin-cancer risk.
Markos Kyprianou, European Commissioner for health and consumer protection said: “Consumers must be made fully aware that no sunscreen product can provide 100% protection against hazardous UV-radiation. There are serious health risks, such as skin cancer, linked to insufficient protection from the sun. EU citizens need to be fully informed about what sunscreens will and will not do for them. ”
Günter Verheugen, Commissioner for enterprise and industry policy said the best way forward was for the industry to commit itself to label sunscreen products properly:. “This will give consumers clear and coherent information without creating unnecessary red-tape for industry.”
The public consultation launched today will be followed by a Commission recommendation to ensure that as of 2007 the industry applies standardised, simple and understandable labelling of sunscreen products.
In 2004, the estimated retail value (retail sales price) of sunscreen products in the European Union was approximately €1.3 billion (£904 million). In 2005, sales grew by 4%. The EU sunscreen market is dominated by European companies. Among the top ten suppliers in the EU, there are only three non-European companies whose market share amounts to roughly 12%.
What consumers need to know this summer
‘Sun blockers’, ‘total protection’ – myth: There is no such thing.No sunscreen product can offer full protection against UV radiation. Products that claim to offer full protection to babies and young children are misleading.
Apply the product correctly: This is as important as the choice of product. To achieve the ‘sun protection factor’ on the label, you need to apply 2mg/cm². This can mean a third of a small bottle to cover the whole body. And the product has to be re-applied frequently.
Choose a product that offers protection against both UVA and UVB radiation, avoid sun exposure at peak hours, when the sun is strongest, wear protective clothing, hats and sun glasses, and keep babies and young children out of direct sunlight.
Weaknesses of the current labelling of sunscreen products
The well-known “sun protection factor” addresses mainly UVB radiation (which is the cause for “sunburn”) but not UVA radiation (which is an important contributor to the skin-cancer risk and to skin-aging). There are as yet no uniform testing methodsto compare the strength of UVA protection.
Below are examples of ways in which producers indicate protection:
- broad spectrum
- broad extra UVA, UVB
- 100% anti UVA/UVB/IR
- keeps short UVA radiation away
- UVA of 30A
- strengthened protection UVA
- UVB absorption spectrum 30/UVA 30
- 25B 7A
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