The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) and the Cancer Council of Victoria have joined forces to warn Australians to reconsider aerosol sunscreens for UV protection.
Director of Assessment and Advice at ARPANSA, Rick Tinker said the warning followed a recent study by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) which found it extremely difficult to get good levels of UV protection from aerosol products which could leave users at risk of sunburn under Australia’s strong UV rays.
“Aerosol sunscreens contain liquid propellent mixed with sunscreen, so it is difficult to know how much sunscreen is actually being dispensed with each spray,” Dr Tinker said.
“The research, which looked at the top nine commercially available aerosol sunscreen products, showed that the spray times required to achieve full body protection ranged from 29 to 98 seconds,” he said.
“The aerosol application tests were conducted in controlled laboratory environments, meaning it would probably take significantly longer to get proper coverage in everyday environments where any breeze or wind could interfere with the product.”
Dr Tinker said the aerosols also required large amounts of spray for adequate coverage.
“Three of the aerosols tested could only provide two full body applications, with the remaining six covering three bodies,” he said.
“[This is] not enough to protect the average family, or for the multiple applications required during the day.”
Dr Tinker said ARPANSA recommended users avoid aerosol sunscreens where possible, and instead opt for other SPF products with more reliable application methods, such as a cream or a lotion.
