Three new sunscreen products by Belgian brand Biosolis do not offer adequate protection against UV rays as promised on the packaging, according to consumer rights organisation Test Achats.
Following an analysis of the new sunscreen products — Biosolis' SPF 30 spray version, the SPF 30 lotion and the SPF 50+ lotion — Test Achats concluded that none of the products offered the protection promised on the packaging.
"We have lodged another complaint with the Federal Public Health Service against these three products with the request to take them off the market while the authorities verify whether or not they comply with the regulations," said Test Achats spokesperson Simon November.
The SPF 30 spray and lotion tubes failed the test both in terms of UV B protection ("in fact, they only offer SPF 10"), and in terms of UV A protection. The SPF 50+ lotion, on the other hand, provides sufficient UV B protection, but not UV A protection, according to the organisation.
Other complaints filed
The complaint against these products comes on top of Test Achats' previous complaints following the testing of 16 sunscreen products in May. Three other products also did not provide the protection promised on the packaging.
Of the products that the organisation denounced, the ISDIN Gel Cream SPF 30 has been taken off shop shelves, however, the two other products, the Clinique Mineral suncream SPF 30 and the Zwitsal SPF50+ cream with perfume especially for babies and young children, can still be found on the Belgian market.
"This is despite the complaint that Test Achats sent to the FPS Public Health in early May. This worries us, since we are in a period where consumers are applying lots of sunscreen products to protect themselves from the sun," November said.
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He stressed that, because Biosolis products are Belgian, the FPS Public Health can take all the measures it deems necessary in Belgium, such as retesting the products, without having to wait for any foreign authorities to act. "Therefore, we hope for a quicker response than in the case of foreign products," he concluded.
The tests carried out by the consumer rights organisation are conducted in strict compliance with the applicable ISO standards for this type of test, by an independent and certified laboratory.
