Consumers urged to steer clear of 'once-a-day' sun cream

Sunseekers have been warned not to rely on “once-a-day” lotions amid fears the products don’t offer the protection they claim, an investigation has found.

Consumer group Which? issued a health warning after research showed leading sun cream brands offer on average just a quarter of the protection they claim to six hours later.

Four products from Boots, Piz Buin, Riemann and UltraSun were tested on ten subjects without re-application as part of the research.

Tests showed the average sun protection factor (SPF) decreased by 74 per cent after six to eight hours, the equivalent of protection offered by a SPF30 sunscreen dropping to SPF8.

The study has led to warnings from leading skin and cancer groups to apply sunscreen at regular intervals during extended periods in the sun.

Alex Neill, Which? director of policy and campaigns, said: “Our testing shows that these sunscreens just don't live up to their 'once-a-day' claims so people should reapply sunscreens regularly to ensure they have protection from the sun.

“With more than 100,000 people diagnosed with skin cancer in the UK each year, some manufacturers need to do more to ensure their sunscreens live up to the claims on the packaging."

A spokesman for Cancer Research UK said: "Whatever it says on the bottle a one-off application won’t give you proper protection and we recommend you don’t use any kind of sunscreen to spend extended periods in the sun.

“Covering up with a shirt, hat and sunglasses, and spending time in the shade when the sun is strong are the best ways to reduce the risk of sunburn and skin cancer.

“Use sunscreen with at least SPF15 and 4 or more stars. But remember that no type of sunscreen offers complete protection against sunburn and DNA damage.”