Six more sunscreens recalled by TGA, with consumers who bought them entitled to refunds
Six sunscreens linked to Australian manufacturer Wild Child have been recalled due to concerns about their true SPF levels, just days after four linked to the same lab were pulled from shelves.
Six more sunscreens linked to Australian manufacturer Wild Child have been recalled due to concerns about their true SPF levels.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration issued a recall on Wednesday for six products: the Fountain of Youth Environmental Defence Cream, Ethical Zinc Daily Wear Light Sunscreen, Ethical Zinc Daily Wear Tinted Facial Sunscreen (Light), Daily Wear Tinted Facial Sunscreen (Dark), Endota Mineral Protect Sunscreen and Allganic Light Sunscreen – Baby Kid Sunscreen.
It comes just days after four other sunscreens linked to the same laboratory
were recalled for the same reasons.
Those four sunscreens were Good Vibes Daily Face Cream, Found My Skin Tinted Face/Body Cream, We are Feel Good Inc Mineral Sunscreen and Happy Days SPF50+ Daily Face Cream.
All ten sunscreens were already under scrutiny by the regulator — having been taken off the shelves and publicly named — and do not represent ‘new’ cases of products with SPF concerns.
This latest decision by the TGA — which initiated the recall after the brands chose not to — means consumers who previously purchased the sunscreens are entitled to a refund.
The recalled products belong to a list of 21 sunscreens made at Wild Child for various brands using the same base formula as Ultra Violette’s Lean Screen, which the Perth manufacturer also made.
That list was published in September after testing of the base formula revealed it was “unlikely to have an SPF greater than 21”, and all products on it have been pulled from shelves.
The base formula’s lower SPF levels were exposed after consumer group CHOICE released bombshell SPF test results for 20 different Australian sunscreens.
The tests found 16 sunscreens tested below SPF50, including Lean Screen, which had a result of 4.
Ultra Violette initially disputed the results but, after further testing, recalled Lean Screen, ultimately prompting an investigation into other sunscreens with the same base formula.
This week’s recall comes after the TGA confirmed they have concerns about the reliability of an overseas SPF testing laboratory used for many products, including Lean Screen and several other products with the same base formula.
Wild Child has defended their work and said a recent TGA inspection “confirmed that no manufacturing issues were identified at our facility that could explain variability in SPF testing results”.
It has also emerged that Wild Child had repeatedly failed to follow manufacturing standards during inspections and had their shipments placed on a “red list” by US authorities.
The Herald Sun revealed late last month that some of Australia’s biggest sunscreens brands have still refused to reveal where they test their products SPFs, or if they have even had it retested at all.
The TGA’s investigation into the other sunscreens tested by CHOICE, but which remain on the market, is ongoing.
Experts, including the TGA, have urged consumers to continue to wear to sunscreen, pointing out that bar Lean Screen — all the products tested by CHOICE offer protection.
Correctly applied SPF 50 filters 98 per cent of UVB rays, while SPF 20 filters 95 per cent.
Originally published as Six more sunscreens recalled by TGA, with consumers who bought them entitled to refunds
