Last summer, Health Canada received a higher than expected number of reports of skin reactions suspected of being associated with Banana Boat sunscreen products. As a result of these reports, Health Canada tested a wide range of sunscreen brands and has now released a summary of the results.

The Department tested 27 sunscreens from various companies in its laboratories: 18 intended for use on children or infants, and 9 intended for use on adults.

Health Canada’s testing did not identify any serious concerns with the quality of these products. Of the sunscreens tested:

• All products were found to have a pH range close to the skin's natural pH level.
• All products contained the amount of active ingredient that was listed on the product label.
• None of the products contained the preservatives known to cause skin reactions: methylisothiazolinone and methylchloroisothiazolinone.
• None of the products contained microbial contaminants above allowable levels.