'Misleading' ads for sunscreen taken off after ICA protest

Piz Buin 'One Day Long' falsely claims one application is effective all day, Israel Cancer Association alleges.

By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
sunscreen 88 (photo credit: )
sunscreen 88
(photo credit: )
The Second TV and Radio Authority has acceded to the demands of the Israel Cancer Association (ICA) to remove a prime-time ad for a sunscreen product that, it alleges, falsely claims one application is effective all day. The product, manufactured under the Piz Buin label and called One Day Long, claimed to protect users from ultraviolet (UV) light exposure, which can lead to skin cancer, for the whole day, even though sweat, rubbing the skin and bathing make this impossible. After the broadcast, the ICA urgently pleaded with the Health Ministry and the authority to halt the ads, "which significantly mislead the public and are liable to harm health." The ICA explained that many people were not aware that sunscreens did not give 100 percent protection. These creams, it added, should only be the "last line of protection" against the sun's harmful rays, after avoiding peak radiation hours (between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.), covering up with long-sleeved, light clothing and wearing a broad-brimmed hat. "Sunscreen definitely does not allow people to lie in the hot sun in a minimal bathing suit and be protected from UV," the ICA said. Sunscreens are tested and ranked by skin protection factors in ideal situations, using UV lamps, in air-conditioned premises. Outdoors, however, it's a different story, the ICA said. The authority investigated the complaint and found that the ad was supposed to be allowed for broadcast only with restrictions and in a version that did not make such exaggerated claims as "all day long" and "long-lasting protection." All sunscreens should be reapplied every two hours, the ICA said. Swimmers should use one that is water-resistant.