The words on a sunscreen are governed as tightly as the numbers
Sunblock, waterproof, all day protection, reef safe, gentle, for children. Which phrases are permitted, which carry conditions, which are ruled out, and what governs each.
Sunblock: why the word this publication is named after should not be on a pack
No product blocks all ultraviolet radiation. European guidance lists wording of that kind among the claims that should not be made, and the UK advertising codes treat overstated protection as misleading.
Claim rulings · 13 minWaterproof and sweatproof: two absolutes a sunscreen cannot claim
Both words promise that water or sweat has no effect. Guidance treats them as claims that should not be made, and the permitted vocabulary is resistance, which is a matter of degree.
Claim rulings · 13 minAll day protection and once a day: claims about time that the test does not measure
The protection factor describes a single undisturbed film at a fixed moment. Wording that converts it into a duration asserts something no part of the measurement addresses.
Claim rulings · 13 minDermatologically tested, hypoallergenic, non comedogenic: claims that describe a process
A group of familiar phrases share one feature: none of them corresponds to a defined threshold. They describe that something was done, without stating what result was required.
Claim rulings · 12 minReef safe, ocean friendly, biodegradable: environmental claims and their legal status
None of these phrases has a legal definition in the United Kingdom. They are governed by consumer protection law and the CMA Green Claims Code, and absolute environmental claims are the hardest of all to support.
Claim rulings · 13 minFor children and for sensitive skin: what those words are allowed to mean
Neither phrase corresponds to a defined formulation standard. Both are governed by the general claims criteria and by a safety assessment that must take the intended user into account.
Claim rulings · 12 minHow a sun protection advertisement can and cannot be worded
The advertising codes assess the impression an advertisement creates as a whole, including imagery and omission. That is a broader test than the one applied to a claim printed on a pack.
Claim rulings · 13 minThe wording note
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