EU Safety Gate: Sunscreens a Regulator Measured Below Their Label
Last updated September 13, 2026
Safety Gate is the only European source found that publishes a regulator-measured SPF figure against a named product. Twelve sunscreen alerts between June 2023 and August 2026 concern an SPF that fell short of the label, eight of them carrying a measured number.
What the round was
- Published by EU Safety Gate (RAPEX), European Union
- Date 9 June 2023 to 28 August 2026
- Publishes a measured SPF per product yes
- Original publication Safety Gate alerts for sunscreens whose measured SPF fell short of the label
Method, as EU Safety Gate (RAPEX) states it. Not stated per alert. Each entry is the result of testing by a national market-surveillance authority, notified to the Commission under the Safety Gate rapid alert system; the alerts are classified as a serious risk and cite non-compliance with the Cosmetic Products Regulation.
What the body itself said about the limits
Republishing a number without the hedge that travelled with it changes what the number means. These are the qualifications the bodies published alongside the results.
The sun protection factor of the product is too low (measured value 2.2). Consumers may suffer sunburn and the chronic consequences of excessive sun exposure…
Every SPF-shortfall alert, 2023 to 2026
These are rows, not pages. Safety Gate publishes a measured value and an action but no method, no laboratory and no brand response, which is less than a product page on this site is built to carry. Where a product in this table also appears in a round that measured it directly, its name links to that page.
| Product | Label | Measured | Notified by | Origin | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIO BIONE Ochranné opalovací mléko A12/01343/23, 9 Jun 2023 |
22 | 4.8 | Czechia | Czechia | Withdrawal from the market, 12/05/2023 |
| Clemy Sun Care Cream A12/03209/24, 22 Nov 2024 |
50+ | up to 27 | Austria | Türkiye | Recall from end users, 06/11/2024 |
| Diasaar Sunscreen Lotion Max Sun 90+ SR/02757/25, 25 Jul 2025 |
90+ | 2.2 | Austria | China | Recall from end users, 11/07/2025 |
| Refy Beauty Skin Trio Broad Spectrum SPF50/PA+++ SR/03816/25, 31 Oct 2025 |
50 | 28.9 | Ireland | USA | Recall from end users |
| Ultra Violette Lean Screen SPF50+ SR/03849/25, 7 Nov 2025 — The European footprint of the Australian result. |
50+ | as low as SPF 4 | UK (Northern Ireland) | Australia | Recall from end users, 23/08/2025 |
| BIOSUN SPF 60 UVA+UVB spray SR/00385/26, 6 Feb 2026 |
60 | up to 7.4 | Lithuania | Ukraine | Withdrawal from the market |
| Hello Sunday The One For Your Eyes SPF 50 SR/00640/26, 6 Mar 2026 |
50 | no number published | Spain | Spain | Recall from end users |
| Ringana fresh baby sunscreen high SPF 50 SR/00726/26, 13 Mar 2026 |
50 | no number published | Austria | Austria | Withdrawal from the market, 25/02/2026 |
| ALMA Organic Babycare Baby & Kids Suncream 50 SR/00832/26, 27 Mar 2026 |
50 | no number published | Austria | Austria | Recall from end users, 02/03/2026 |
| Disaar Sunscreen Lotion Max Sun 90+ OR/00087/26, 3 Jul 2026 — The alert cites a single UV filter rather than a measured value. |
90+ | no number published | Hungary | China | Withdrawal from the market |
| OUHOE SPF100 Body & Face Sunscreen Lotion SR/02350/26, 28 Aug 2026 |
100 | as low as SPF 0 | Germany | China | AliExpress listing removed, 17/08/2026 |
| Maycheer Ultra Protect SPF 90+ Dry Touch SR/02357/26, 28 Aug 2026 — The alert also cites banned preservatives and formaldehyde. |
90+ | lower than SPF 2 | Germany | China | AliExpress listing removed, 17/08/2026 |
Eight of the twelve alerts carry a measured figure; the other four record an action without publishing a value. A thirteenth alert in the same period is excluded from this table: it names a product using the branding of a well-known sunscreen, originated in China and was sold through a marketplace listing, and treating it as a result for that brand's product would be wrong.
Where these products were sold matters
The lowest figures in this table are not mainstream-retail failures. The two measuring as low as SPF 0 and lower than SPF 2 were sold through online marketplaces (the alerts name Amazon and AliExpress) and were withdrawn from sale, and the one measuring 2.2 is an imported lotion recalled by its retailer — a different consumer story from a supermarket own-brand measuring 27 on a ten-person panel. Both belong in the table; conflating them would not.
The Australian story reaches Europe through one row. The Ultra Violette Lean Screen recall was notified as alert SR/03849/25 and published in the UK as an Office for Product Safety and Standards recall covering 22 batches, with the notice stating that the product failed SPF testing with variable results, placing consumers at risk of sunburn.
Primary documents
SPF List did not test these products. 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.