Summer: tests in GB, waterproof sunscreen & # 39; lose & # 39; the filters after the bath

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Adnkronos Health

Rome, 2 July. (AdnKronos Health) – Are sunscreens that carry the words "water resistant" on the label stick to their promises? Not always, at least according to the British consumer badociation Which ?, who wanted to go up to the end, do ad hoc tests.
One of the most common protocols for evaluating the effectiveness of a sunscreen is one that evaluates the product after application on the skin of volunteers for two 20-minute baths in fresh water and in motion. In principle, resistance to UVB radiation should not decrease by 50% after immersion. During the tests, carried out on two branded sunscreens, with the one that reported the word "waterproof", the sun protection factor was reduced by 59% after the two dives of 20 minutes in salt water and in motion. The same procedure, but this time with tap water, lowered the protection factor of a product by 21% and 40% in the other. The test in chlorinated water finally showed a decrease in resistance to UV rays of a third.
In light of these findings, the authors state that swimming in the sea or in the pool after coating the water-resistant cream does not guarantee protection once it has been released. Hence the badociation's accusations that the waterproof indication "is not realistic" and exposes people at risk after bathing.
"Our research shows that water-resistant sunscreens are not as promised when they are subjected to rigorous testing, which raises serious questions about current guidelines," Nikki Stopford explains. , director of the magazine and research. , which points out how high are the risks of melanoma and new cases of skin cancer, and warns: "Manufacturers should be forced to test their products with very strict rules and make reliable statements that sunscreen for to protect you.
Moral: It is recommended to apply sunscreen again after swimming or sweating a lot. And more generally, if exposed to the sun, do not forget to put the cream generously and regularly every 2 hours.

Written by:

Adnkronos Health