The arrival of summer and sunny days intensify the opportunities for exposure to the sun whose rays can be very harmful, in the absence of an adequate protective barrier. Sunscreen is therefore a fundamental ally for lying down in the sun in safety and the products tested by Altroconsumo protect what they promise. To help in choosing sunscreens with the right protection factor (Spf), suitable for one’s phototype, i.e. skin type, this year too the consumer organization analyzed the Spf 30 and 50+ creams, including both products released this year and products tested in previous years still on the market.
The data that emerged from the test is encouraging – notes Altroconsumo – almost all the products have been promoted: they are in fact effective and guarantee the promised protection. The parameter that weighs the most in the evaluation of sunscreens is protection: if a sunscreen does not meet the indicated level of protection, it is penalized in the overall quality judgment and therefore not recommended. To make this assessment, the Organization has applied a new method of analysis (Hybrid Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy) that is more ethical than the standard ISO method: this method irradiates the skin of the volunteers very little and does not cause damage. There were no negative surprises on this front with the new products tested this year.
Another fundamental aspect of the test concerns the safety of the ingredients of the sunscreens. The test verified that there are no ingredients in the formulations that can be harmful to health, even if authorised. On the bright side, many unsafe ingredients – such as the sunscreens homosalate, octocrylene and ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate – no longer appear in formulations. The test also evaluated the general environmental impact of these products, penalizing not only those containing sunscreens that are toxic to the marine ecosystem, but also those with unnecessary ingredients that could be replaced with more sustainable substances.
The results of the survey – the results of which can be consulted in detail at the link https://www.altroconsumo.it/salute/creme-solari) – show that there has been some change in the direction of environmental sustainability, both it concerns the packaging, with more and more bottles in recycled plastic, both in the formulations where there are fewer and fewer ingredients that release microplastics, tiny particles of plastic harmful to the environment and which, ingested by marine fauna, return to the food chain up to our dishes, comments Altroconsumo .
To enjoy the sun in complete safety, however – warns the organization – it is not enough to choose the right cream, you have to use it well, then spread it abundantly and often, always after swimming because even the one that is ‘water resistant’ protects in the water, but once back on the beach, it must be reapplied. In fact, no cream filters UV rays 100% and, in any case, being too much in the sun can damage the skin – remember the note – causing rashes and increasing the risk of skin tumors, such as melanoma.
