MALLEE residents have been warned against using aerosol sunscreens, with a new study showing they are ineffective in typical wind conditions.
Results from the 2021 study, Testing Aerosol Sunscreen Products: exploring the impact of wind on the application of sunscreen, found that among the products tested, the proportion of sunscreen lost due to typical wind conditions ranged from 32 to 79 per cent for 10km/h and 28 to 93 per cent for 20km/h wind.
With such a large proportion of sunscreen lost when applying it via an aerosol spray, a person would need to spray an aerosol sunscreen in some cases for up to 250 seconds per limb to achieve the SPF protection as labelled on the product.
Head of SunSmart and chair of Cancer Council Australia’s national skin cancer committee, Heather Walker, said the study provided additional evidence as to why aerosol sunscreen manufacturers may be misleading consumers by not informing them of the significant limitations of the product to provide effective UV protection.
“Cancer Council welcomes the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s (TGA) recent announcement of a review into the efficacy of aerosol sunscreens which comes after Cancer Council and ARPANSA published a 2020 report which showed how difficult it can be to achieve the SPF stated on aerosol sunscreens,” Ms Walker said.
“This research shows that consumers are not getting all the information when it comes to aerosol sunscreens, and therefore are unable to make informed decisions about the level of sun protection these sunscreen products can achieve and their cost to provide the protection we know we need in Australia’s harsh UV environment.”
Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) director of assessment and advice Dr Rick Tinker warned Australians against using aerosol sunscreens this summer.
“We strongly urge Australians to use sunscreen lotions and creams instead of aerosols, as they provide easier application, more coverage, and longer-lasting protection as they are applied straight to the skin and are often rubbed into the skin upon application,” he said.
“If applied correctly and in combination with other forms of sun protection, sunscreen lotions can lower our melanoma risk, the deadliest form of skin cancer.”
