A new report has found popular sunscreen brands may not be meeting their SPF protection claims. But how is sunscreen protection tested - and is it reliable? An RMIT expert explains.
Vipul Bansal, Professor, Materials Chemistry and Nanobiotechnology
"The Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approves sunscreen products that adhere to an international standard for SPF testing. The test involves exposing human subjects to UV radiation.
"There is a lot of variability when using this type of testing; the people involved can have different skin tones that can affect the results, and at times the method is subject to interpretation.
"There are also significant ethical concerns as it requires human subjects to be exposed to unnecessary UV radiation.
"The Choice report shares interesting findings and it raises some questions about what could have potentially gone wrong with SPF testing.
"RMIT experts are among the researchers who have investigated alternative human-free SPF testing methods, so I would recommend TGA and other regulatory bodies reconsider the current processes.
"Wearing sunscreen of any protection level is extremely important and I would encourage everyone to continue to wear sunscreen."
Professor Vipul Bansal is the Founding Director of the Sir Ian Potter NanoBioSensing Facility at RMIT University. With more than 20 years' research experience in nanotechnology and the interaction of nanomaterials with the biological world, Professor Bansal's team is developing ultrasensitive sensors, more efficient detection systems, and point-of-care early diagnostic technologies to improve human health.
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