A law firm in Canada has filed 2 class action lawsuits, against Playtex and Schering-Plough
Canada, manufacturers of Banana Boat and Coppertone sunscreen products, respectively, alleging that they mislead or deceptively marketed their sunscreens by implying that the products protect equally against all types of sun radiation because they contain sun protection factor or SPF.
This is allegedly misleading because the labeling failed to distinguish between UVA rays, which damage the DNA in skin cells, and UVB rays, which cause sunburns and are the main target of SPF ratings.
The amount of UVA protection provided by a sunscreen reportedly isn't linked to the SPF number of that sunscreen, so a product with a high SPF doesn't necessarily shield against UVA any better than it would against sunburns caused by UVB. Consumers, the suit alleges, would not be aware that they may not be equally protected from UVA and UVB, by simply reading the products' labeling.
