£28 sunscreen for children and families among brands failing safety test, Which? finds
As part of its annual sunscreen testing, the consumer champion lab tested 15 popular sun creams this year, including Boots, Garnier and Nivea as well as own-brand alternatives.
Which? uses industry-recognised test methods that are part of British and International standards and tests products at independent labs. If a product fails on its first test, Which? repeats the test. If it passes the second time round, a third test will be done. If it fails SPF or UVA twice overall, it becomes a ‘Don’t Buy’.
This year, Which? found that two of the products tested failed the consumer champion’s sun protection tests overall and were therefore labelled a ‘Don’t Buy’.
Ultrasun Family SPF30, which is sold by some of the biggest names on the UK high street and markets itself as being “perfect for the whole family” and “especially suitable for children and those with sensitive skin,” failed Which?'s tests. Despite costing £28 for 150ml, researchers found that the Ultrasun product failed to meet minimum UVA protection levels in two separate tests - making it a Which? Don’t Buy.
Another fail and labelled a Don’t Buy by Which? was Morrisons Moisturising Sun Spray SPF30 (£3.75/200ml), which was also tested twice and on both occasions failed to meet minimum SPF protection levels.
One brand that provided the sun protection needed was Aldi Lacura Sensitive Sun Lotion SPF50+, which costs just £2.99 for 200ml. This sunscreen was found to protect the skin from both UVA and UVB rays, as claimed. At a bargain £1.50 per 100ml - six times less than Ultrasun - the product also earned a Which? Great Value badge.
Another brand that triumphed in the consumer champion’s SPF and UVA test was Lidl’s Cien Sun Spray 30 SPF High (£3.79/200ml), which also earned a Which? Great Value endorsement. At £1.90 per 100ml, Which? testers found it is a solid option for affordable and reliable sun protection.
As well as the Great Value recommendations, 11 other products, including Boots Soltan Protect & Moisturise Suncare Spray SPF30, £5.50/200ml, Nivea Sun Protect & Moisture Lotion SPF30, £7.90/200ml and Sainsbury’s Sun Protect Moisturising Lotion SPF30, £5.50/200ml, earned the Which? Test Pass endorsement this year - crucially passing SPF and UVA safety tests.
Natalie Hitchins, Which? Head of Home Products and Services, said:
“It’s really concerning that widely available sunscreens could be putting families at risk by failing to offer the level of sun protection claimed on the packaging.
“While shoppers should avoid buying our Don’t Buys, our results prove that there’s no need to splash out to keep you and your loved ones safe in the sun as we’ve found cheap reliable options at Aldi and Lidl.”
-ENDS-
Right of Replies:
A spokesperson from Ultrasun told Which? it is fully confident in its testing protocols and that its detailed testing processes continue to not only meet, but surpass industry
standards. It stated that its chosen testing protocol is one of the strictest available.
Morrisons told Which? that it’s looking closely at the data and working with its supplier to carry out additional independent testing.
Notes to Editors
Ultrasun passed the UVB SPF part of the test but failed on UVA testing
- Ultrasun’s UVA score was 9.1 and 9.5 in a retest. Should be 10 or more for a pass
Morrisons passed UVA testings but failed UVB/SPF tests
- Morrisons SPF was 25.7 and 20.7 on retest. Should be 30 or more for a pass.
Which? tested 15 sunscreens in 2025, including SPF30, SPF50/50+ and Kids SPF50/50+ products from big brands and supermarkets. Products tested in 2024 have been checked to see if they are still available and unchanged. Those that are can be found online at which.co.uk.
List of sunscreens
2025 Don’t Buys
Morrisons Moisturising Sun Spray SPF30, £3.75/200ml
Ultrasun Family SPF30, £28/150ml
2025 Passes (which are eligible for the ‘Test Pass’ endorsement):
SPF30 sunscreens
Boots Soltan Protect & Moisturise Suncare Lotion, £5.50/200ml
Boots Soltan Protect & Moisturise Suncare Spray SPF30, £5.50/200ml
Nivea Sun Protect & Moisture Lotion SPF30, £7.90/200ml
Lidl Cien Sun Protect Spray SPF30 High, £3.79/200ml
Sainsbury’s Sun Protect Moisturising Lotion SPF30, £5.50/200ml
Superdrug Solait Sun Spray SPF30, £5.50/200ml
SPF50/50+ sunscreens
Garnier Ambre Solaire Sensitive Advanced Sun Spray SPF 50+, £11/150ml
Sainsbury’s Sun ProtectMoisturising Spray Lotion SPF50+, £5.75/200ml
Aldi Lacura Sensitive Sun Lotion SPF50+, £2.99/200ml
Boots Soltan Protect & Moisturise Suncare Lotion SPF50+, £5.50/200ml
Nivea Sun Protect & Moisture Spray SPF50+, £7.90/200ml
SPF50/50+ kids sunscreens
Childs Farm Sun Cream Fragrance-Free SPF50+, £12/200ml
Soltan Kids Protect & Moisturise Lotion SPF50+, £5.50/200ml
How we test sunscreens
SPF/UVB testing
We test to an official British and International standard (BS EN ISO 24444:2020) in our lab. We apply sunscreen to the backs of at least 10 people, then shine a UV lamp onto their skin. We compare the smallest dose of UVB light required to turn skin red, with and without sunscreen, to verify the SPF.
UVA testing
This is also tested to the official standard (BS EN ISO 24443:2021). Sunscreen is spread onto a glass plate and placed under a UV spectrophotometer, which measures absorption of UVA radiation. To pass, the measurement needs to be at least one third of the claimed SPF.
Application
We ask a panel of volunteers to use and rate each sunscreen for factors such as application, absorption and whether there’s a visible residue on the skin. We also ask whether the cream feels greasy or tacky on skin and whether it smells good or overpowering.
Test Pass endorsement:
Last year, Which? launched a 'Test Pass' endorsement. The Which? Test Pass shows when a sunscreen has provided the claimed levels of UVA and UVB protection in Which?'s internationally recognised tests. It's the consumer champion's seal of approval and provides consumers with the confidence they need to make buying decisions.
The endorsement is distinct from the Which? Best Buy. Only sunscreens which pass UVA and UVB sun protection tests, and are rated highly for application (covering ease of absorption, smell, greasiness / tackiness and more) by a panel of testers, achieve Best Buy status (members only). Seven products tested in 2025 qualified as Best Buys.
About Which?
Which? is the UK’s consumer champion, here to make life simpler, fairer and safer for everyone. Our research gets to the heart of consumer issues, our advice is impartial, and our rigorous product tests lead to expert recommendations. We’re the independent consumer voice that influences politicians and lawmakers, investigates, holds businesses to account and makes change happen. As an organisation we’re not for profit and all for making consumers more powerful.
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