Coola Zinc Oxide Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50: What Consumer NZ Measured
Last updated November 2, 2026
Consumer NZ tested it at SPF 14 against an SPF 50 label in October 2026, the lowest result of the 10 sunscreens in its round and the only one it rated as low protection.
Coola's zinc oxide lotion was one of 10 sunscreens Consumer NZ bought off New Zealand shelves and sent blind to an accredited laboratory, in a round published on 30 October 2026. It tested at SPF 14 against the SPF 50 on its label: the lowest figure in the round, and the only one Consumer NZ classed as low rather than high protection. The result on this page belongs to the product and batch Consumer NZ bought in New Zealand.
What was tested
Consumer NZ measured SPF 14, 30 October 2026
Consumer NZ measured SPF 14 against a label of SPF 50. In the body's own words:
Coola Zinc Oxide Sunscreen Lotion 50 tested at just SPF14. This product offers low protection, and is way off the factor 50 promised on its label.
Method, as Consumer NZ states it: Sunscreens bought from stores and sent “blind” to an accredited laboratory, which Consumer NZ does not name, in light-resistant packaging, and tested against two aspects of the Australian/New Zealand sunscreen standard. Each sunscreen first underwent a five-person panel test; the seven with preliminary results below their SPF claim then went on to the full 10-person test the standard requires. Product applied at 2mg per cm2 and left to dry for 15 minutes, then a lamp simulating the sunburn-causing part of the UV spectrum shone on protected and unprotected skin, with redness assessed by a technician around 24 hours later and the results from all 10 participants averaged. Broad-spectrum protection measured by spectrophotometer on a thin film of sunscreen on a plate, against a critical wavelength and a UVA protection of at least one-third of the tested SPF.
What the brand said
Consumer NZ sent its results to every company whose product fell short and asked for evidence supporting the claim. It reported that Coola's distributor declined to comment.
Coola’s distributor told us it would not be commenting on our test results.
What happened next
Market status: no change has been published by any source cited here. Statuses in this story moved repeatedly between 2025 and 2026, so check the regulator before assuming a product is still on sale.
Alternatives that passed
Consumer NZ reported that three of the 10 sunscreens in the same test met their SPF label claim. It sent only the seven whose preliminary five-person result fell short on to the full ten-person test, so these three carry no tested figure. None of the three is named as a zinc or mineral formula in Consumer NZ's table; the Cancer Society lotion carries the same SPF 50 claim: Cancer Society Everyday Protection SPF50, met its claim, Smart365 Sun Sunscreen Lotion SPF50+, met its claim, Cetaphil Sun Ultra Light Lotion SPF50+, met its claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much protection does SPF 14 give?
Consumer NZ rated it low protection. It was the only one of the 10 products in the round below SPF 30; the other six that missed their claims still tested at SPF 30 or higher, which Consumer NZ described as high protection.
Did Coola respond to the result?
Consumer NZ reported that Coola's distributor told it that it would not be commenting on the test results.
Does this result apply to Coola sunscreens sold in the US?
This page does not say so. Consumer NZ bought the product it tested off a New Zealand shelf, and a measured figure belongs to the batch tested on the date tested. No source cited here has tested another Coola product, or the same product in another market.
SPF List did not test this product. The results on this page were published by the named test body or regulator; quotes and links go to the original publication. Brand responses and later developments are listed where they were published. Formulations change; a result applies to the batch and date tested.