![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/urgent-warning-as-4-top-sun-cream-brands-fail-to-meet-nhs-safety-standards/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/back-young-woman-sun-tan-837361252.jpg&description=Exclusive SAFETY ALERT Published : 15:34, 11 Aug 2023 FOUR top sun cream brands fail to meet NHS guidance on the minimum level of UV protection. Health officials recommend Brits use lotions with a UVA star rating of at least four. 6 Several Garnier Ambre Solaire products carry a UVA star rating of three Credit: Alice Fuller - The Sun 6 The NHS recommends Brits use lotions with a UVA star rating of at least four Credit: Alice Fuller - The Sun But Garnier Ambre Solaire, Hawaiian Tropic, Piz Buin and Bondi Sands all sell products with just three. The bottles, which cost the same as those offering "adequate" protection, are on shelves in Boots, Superdrug and supermarkets. The SPF - or sun protection factor - number indicates how well a sunscreen protects against sunburn, while the UVA number denotes the percentage of UVA radiation that's absorbed compared to UVB. For both, the higher the number, the better the protection. UVA and UVB are damaging to the skin, but UVA penetrates more deeply. Both play a role in skin cancer . To meet EU standards, the ratio of UVA to UVB protection must be 1:3. This is denoted by the letters 'UVA' inside a circle. But the NHS says products should also carry a four-star rating or above. 'When buying sunscreen, the label should have an SPF of at least 30 to protect against UVB and at least four-star UVA protection,' the health service states. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which sets the guidelines, adds: 'To reduce the risks of sunlight exposure, sunscreen should meet minimum standards for UVA protection. 'The label should have the letters 'UVA' in a circle logo and it should be at least four‑star UVA protection.' Charities and health bodies warn that poor sun protection puts people at risk of severe burns and skin cancer. Dr Emma Meredith, director general at the Cosmetic Toiletry & Perfumery Association, said: "Protecting our skin from the damaging effects of the sun is important, and sunscreens are one par){kind=link}
FOUR top sun cream brands fail to meet NHS guidance on the minimum level of UV protection.
Health officials recommend Brits use lotions with a UVA star rating of at least four.
But Garnier Ambre Solaire, Hawaiian Tropic, Piz Buin and Bondi Sands all sell products with just three.
The bottles, which cost the same as those offering the advised protection, are on shelves in Boots, Superdrug and supermarkets.
The SPF – or sun protection factor – number indicates how well a sunscreen protects against sunburn (UVB), while the UVA number denotes the percentage of UVA radiation that’s absorbed compared to UVB.