A sunscreen scandal in Australia is continuing to grow, with 18 products now pulled from shelves in the skin cancer hotspot over safety concerns.
Analysis by a consumer advocacy group in June found several popular and expensive sunscreens did not provide the protection claimed by their makers.
One product, Ultra Violette's Lean Screen Skinscreen, is supposed to offer a skin protection factor (SPF) of 50+ but instead returned a result of SPF 4 and was voluntarily recalled in August.
An investigation by the medicines regulator has now warned about 20 more sunscreens from other brands, which share the same base formula, raising significant concerns about a testing laboratory.
The preliminary testing indicates that this base formulation is unlikely to have an SPF greater than 21, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) said in an update, suggesting that for some products, the SPF rating may be as low as four.
Of the 21 products it named, eight have been recalled or manufacture ceased completely. The sale of another 10 products has been paused, and two more are under review. One product identified is made in Australia but is not sold in the country.
Australia has the highest rate of skin cancers globally - an estimated two out of three Australians will have at least one cut out in their lifetime - and has some of the strictest sunscreen regulations.
The scandal has sparked a massive backlash from consumers. However, experts warn it may also have global implications, as issues with manufacturing and lab testing for SPF claims have arisen.
Wild Child Laboratories Pty Ltd, the manufacturer of the controversial base formula, has ceased production, as stated by the TGA. Wild Child's boss, Tom Curnow, noted that the TGA found no manufacturing issues at their facility. Instead, he implicated broader industry-wide issues for the discrepancies.
The TGA is currently investigating the testing protocols of Princeton Consumer Research Corp (PCR Corp), a US lab that many sunscreen manufacturers have relied on. Wild Child Labs has terminated its relationship with PCR and is seeking new accredited laboratories for testing.
The TGA has contacted all companies affected by the problematic formula and has expressed its concerns to PCR Corp, but no response has been received yet.
