Aspect Sun’s physical range of sunscreen recalled after potentially bogus SPF claims

Australia’s medical watchdog has recalled a series of sunscreen brands after testing revealed their SPF levels were lower than what was claimed on the label.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration on Friday issued the warning for the Aspect Sun physical range manufactured by Advanced Skin Technology, which have been pulled from shelves over the SPF concerns.

The TGA confirmed the recall followed “preliminary testing evidence indicating that the SPF levels of their product may be lower than what is claimed on their labels”.

“There is a risk that a low SPF rating may increase the risk of sunburn during use and reduce the long-term effectiveness of preventing skin cancer,” the regulator said.

Meanwhile, the company responsible for manufacturing the sunscreen reassured consumers that “no other products in the Aspect Sun range (were) impacted and these remain available for sale”.

“While we are awaiting the full completion of independent testing, preliminary results suggest that the SPF level of the two products listed below is unlikely to meet the labelled SPF rating,” Advanced Skin Technology said in a statement.

“As a brand committed to sun safety and skin health, we are not satisfied with these outcomes and wish to act immediately.

“We have been working closely with the Therapeutic Goods Administration and are now implementing this urgent recall on the below two products.”

The affected products and batch numbers include:

• Aspect Sun physical sun protection SPF50+ batch numbers A2450, A2190, A1958, A1492; and
• Aspect Sun tinted physical SPF50+ batch numbers A2451, A2191, A1976, A1629.

“Customers may return their product, along with proof of purchase, to the place of purchase to request a refund,” the company confirmed.

The TGA also flagged that other sunscreens could be added to the recall list in the coming weeks.

It follows testing by CHOICE earlier this year that resulted in six sunscreen brands being pulled from shelves.