A popular Australian sunscreen brand has withdrawn one of its products after tests revealed it failed to provide consistent protection.
Ultra Violette came under fire in June when consumer agency Choice tested a range of sunscreens, discovering the brand’s Lean Screen 50+ Mattifying Zinc Skinscreen scored the lowest SPF rating of four.
The company disputed Choice’s testing methodology and results, saying it followed Therapeutic Goods Administration guidelines and did not arbitrarily slap on a SPF 50+ label.
However, Ultra Violette on Friday revealed independent lab tests following the Choice controversy uncovered Lean Screen had “significant atypical variability” in its SPF protection.
Across eight tests, the product returned a SPF rating of 4, 10, 21, 26, 33, 60, 61 and 64 when it should have consistently been above 50.
“That wasn’t good enough for us, and it isn’t good enough for you,” co-founders Rebecca Jefferd and Ava Chandler-Matthews said in a statement.
The brand decided to remove the product from the market effective immediately, with customers able to request a refund and product voucher.
“We are deeply sorry that one of our products has fallen short of the standards we pride ourselves on and that you have come to expect of us,” the statement said.
It said Lean Screen was created by a third-party manufacturer, which the company would no long use.
Ultra Violette said it would be working with a new network of testing facilities, implementing a minimum of two independent lab tests before the launch of a new product and increasing retesting to every 18 months.
“Trust is built and rebuilt over time, and we know we have work to do,” the founders said.
Ultra Violette maintained additional testing on its other products had “reinforced” confidence in the rest of its line.
Choice chief executive Ashley de Silva said the withdrawal of Ultra Violette’s product confirmed there was a “clear problem” with how sunscreen was regulated and tested in Australia.
“Without Choice’s investigation, Ultra Violette’s Lean Screen would still be on shelves, despite the fact that it does not provide anywhere near the amount of sun protection it claims to,” he said.
The Choice investigation earlier this year also showed Cancer Council Ultra Sunscreen 50+ tested at a SPF rating of 24, Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Dry-Touch Lotion SPF 50 also at 24 and Bondi Sands SPF 50+ Zinc Mineral Body Lotion at 26.
Mr de Silva called on the Therapeutic Goods Administration to provide an update on its investigation into the SPF rating failures of multiple brands.
“Ultra Violette’s product may not be the only product that is affected and consumers deserve to know whether they can continue to trust SPF claims in Australia,” he said.
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