Schumer: New report shows nearly half of all sunscreens make false claims about SPF protection
Senator Pushes FDA to Test Sunscreens and Crack Down on Misleading Labels
U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer on Thursday called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to launch an investigation into deceptive Sun Protection Factor (SPF) marketing, following a study released by Consumer Reports that suggests that 43 percent of sunscreen products fail to meet the SPF claim on the label.
“There is simply no doubt about it — some consumers are being totally burned when they buy sunscreen, which is why the FDA must give sunscreen labels the third degree,” said Schumer. “With beach season officially in full swing and with a New York City heat wave on the way, the FDA needs to make sure the SPF labels on sunscreen products match the SPF protection being offered.”
While the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends using a sunscreen with a SPF of 30 or higher, the recently released study suggests that some consumers are not being offered the level of protection they believe they are using. For instance, of the sunscreen products test by Consumer Reports, at least two products with SPF 50 labels only offered an SPF 8 level of protection — far less protection than the AAD recommends.