The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Beauty, Hair & Wellbeing has unveiled the results from its first-ever parliamentary inquiry into UV Safety in the UK, calling for the abolishment of sunscreen tax, mandatory sunbed regulation and education reform by the government.
The report, A Preventable Crisis: The Case for a National UV Safety Strategy, follows a comprehensive year-long inquiry into UV safety in the UK, with the group warning that the UK currently lacks a cohesive national strategy to mitigate the impact of ultraviolet radiation.
With melanoma cases projected to rise by 9% by 2038, according to charity Cancer Research UK, the APPG for Beauty, Hair & Wellbeing is calling for a “radical shift” in how the UK Government and public perceive UV protection.
The key recommendations to the government in the report include reducing VAT on children’s sunscreen (SPF 30-plus) to 0% and adult sunscreen to 5%, reclassifying it as essential "preventative health care" rather than a luxury cosmetic.
This follows news that just under a third (31%) of parents admit that they cannot always afford to apply sun protection to their whole family, according to research undertaken on behalf of supermarket Tesco.
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Mandatory sunbed regulation is another key recommendation, with the APPG for Beauty, Hair & Wellbeing highlighting that sunbed use before the age of 35 increases melanoma risk by 59%.
It is calling for a total ban on sunbed advertising in the UK and the introduction of graphic health warnings on machines, similar to tobacco regulation.
And if safety does not improve, the group is also suggesting a phase-out model that raises the legal age of use by one year, every year.
Another recommendation for the government is for UV radiation to be classified as an occupational hazard, requiring employers to provide sun protection as compulsory Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the UK’s millions of outdoor workers.
Some in the industry believe beauty is in the midst of an SPF crisis, with consumer confidence in sunscreen safety currently eroded due to many reasons, including product recalls.
Below, Millie Kendall OBE, CEO of the British Beauty Council, who has helped work on this report; and Carolyn Harris MP, Chair of the APPG for Beauty, Hair & Wellbeing, share with Cosmetics Business the importance of this report and its key findings below.
Report introduction by Millie Kendall OBE, CEO of the British Beauty Council
Millie Kendall
“When I first met Carolyn Harris MP during the Covid-19 pandemic, the beauty industry was navigating one of the most challenging periods in its history.
Businesses were closed, livelihoods were under threat and, perhaps more than ever before, the sector needed champions who truly understood both its economic value and its human impact.
It was immediately clear to me that Carolyn was one of those people.
From our earliest conversations, we shared many of the same concerns about how the industry could recover, rebuild and ultimately be recognised more seriously by policymakers.
Since then, as Chair of the APPG for Beauty, Hair & Wellbeing, Carolyn has worked closely with the British Beauty Council, which proudly serves as the APPG secretariat.
Over the past few years, one issue repeatedly surfaced in our discussions: the lack of a coordinated national strategy around UV safety.
While many brands, retailers and health care organisations have done important work to
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