(Finance) – Two sunscreens for children out of 15, Nivea Sun Kids Ultra Protect & Play Crema 50+ and Bilboa Bimbi Spray 50+ do not protect as much as they promise, as the protection would correspond to a protection index of Spf 30 (high), therefore lower than that declared on the label 50+ (very high). Given the importance of correct protection of the skin from the sun’s rays, Altroconsumo deemed it necessary report any non-conformities detected and therefore reported the 2 products to the Ministry of Health and the AGCM.
It is the photograph that emerges from a survey conducted by Altroconsumo which this year has taken care of analyze 15 sunscreens for children Spf 50+ and 21 creams with Spf 30 for everyone (cream and spray version).
Between sunscreen for children SPF 50+ – we read in the investigation – wins as Best of the Angstrom Children’s Moisturizing Sun Spray Milk 50+ Test (175 ml) and as Best Buy Nivea Sun Babies & Kids Sensitive Protect 5 in 1 Spray 50+ (270 ml) and Garnier Ambre Solaire Sensitive Advance Kids Spray 50+ (300 ml). The parameter that weighs most when rating sunscreens is obviously that of protection: if a sunscreen does not comply with the indicated level of protection, it is penalized in the overall quality judgment and therefore not recommended.
A specialized laboratory has verified the actual protective efficacy of the product and its correspondence with that declared on the label, evaluating both the protection against UVB, the rays responsible for possible burns and rashes, and that against UVA, responsible for damage to the skin. long-term and photo-aging.
To make this assessment Altroconsumo has applied a new analysis method (Hybrid Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy) is more ethical than the standard ISO method which requires subjects to be subjected to radiation that causes rashes. In fact, the new method irradiates the volunteers’ skin very little and causes no damage. When there are products that do not respect the level of protection indicated on the label, as in this test, to be sure of the result they are retested according to current ISO standards and, in this case, the results were confirmed.
The investigation also shows that in the formulations there are no ingredients present that may be harmful to health and which, although authorized, are not considered completely safe and for which problems related to their use have been highlighted. The good news is that many ingredients that are unsafe for health no longer appear in formulations despite being permitted by law and that the baby creams tested do not contain allergenic fragrances.
However, two creams out of 15 were penalized in the overall quality ratingdespite being effective in protection, as they contain non-recommended ingredients, Leocrema Bimbi triple protection spray 50+ which contains octocrylenea much-discussed sun filter for safety of use and Bilboa Children Multi-position Solar Spray 50+ which contains ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, a sunscreen that is considered a potential endocrine disruptor.
The test evaluated the general environmental impact of these products, penalizing those that contain ingredients that are toxic to the marine ecosystem. Furthermore, those difficult to dispose of in the recycling bin or with double packaging were negatively evaluated (Rilastil and Lancaster with box) and those made of recycled plastic were rewarded (Garnier Sensitive). In general, the environmental impact assessment of these cosmetics is mediocre and the only barely sufficient result is that of Nivea Sun Kids Mineral sun milk which has a formula with less impact on the environment especially because it contains only physical filters and not chemical (or organic) filters, which are most frequently the most negative for the environment.
As for instead sunscreen sprays and creams with Spf 30, according to the Altroconsumo survey, all the products tested are effective and protect what they promise.
For Altroconsumo, he won the title of Best in the Test, for sun creams, Nivea Sun Protect & Hydrate 30 (200 ml) and Best Buy Prep Sun Milk 30 (200 ml). While, for the sprays, it won the recognition of Best of the Test and Best Purchase Nivea Sun Protect & Bronze 30 Spray (270 ml) and, always as Best Buy, Nivea Sun Protect & Hydrate 30 sprays (270 ml).