Indian sunscreens face backlash after influencer's SPF claims go viral
Your sunscreen is like the holy grail of your skincare and is offered by nearly every skincare brand. Men and women feed upon these products, which come with different SPF levels and formulations. Now, a new investigation done by a Noida-based influencer has sparked controversy on social media.
Noida-based influencer and founder of an influencer marketing agency, Nitin Joshi, recently claimed that he personally purchased 10 sunscreen products from different brands, where around 6 of them failed to deliver even half of the sun protection factor, aka SPF, they tend to advertise.
Shared on his Instagram account last week, he claimed to have tested all these brands in an independent lab and personally funded the process. In his video, he said, “I have personally paid for these tests and invested over Rs 2.15 lakh to conduct this study with the sole purpose of educating fellow citizens about what they are applying on their skin.”
Sunscreens from the brands Lakme, Renee, Lotus, Dot & Key, Wishcare, Foxtale, Deconstruct, Aqualogica, Dermaco, and Minimalist were tested at two Government of India-accredited labs, i.e., MS Clinical Research Pvt Ltd in Bengaluru and the Center for Cruelty-Free Testing in Meerut. Both laboratories used in vitro testing protocols, based on ISO 24443 and COLIPA 2011 standards, which are globally recognised for non-human SPF testing.
He clarified to maintain the global gold standard ethics and said in his video, “The intent of this video is strictly educational—to encourage awareness, informed choices, and conversations around sunscreen and skincare products,” he said. “It also aims to highlight the need for clearer specifications, standards, and gradings in categories such as skincare and sun protection in India.”
Test results revealed
The lab results shared by the influencer spread like wildfire in the market, where brands like Renee, WishCare, and Dot & Key were the worst performers. Lotus and Deconstruct were a tad better than them, whereas Foxtale remained within a tolerable range. On the other hand, brands like Minimalist, Derma Co., and Lakme met the expectations, and Aqualogica stood out with an exceptionally high SPF reading.
Concerns over the validity of the test and influencer bias
As soon as Nitin Joshi’s video went viral, it attracted many dermatologists and industry insiders, who raised questions about his being biased and the true validity of the lab test. One dermatologist commented, “What do you have to say about the proof that this is part of a marketing campaign that some influencers have received with a brief to promote your video?”
She further wrote, “In vitro (in glass) tests are not sufficient for SPF ratings. SPF tests need to be done in vivo (on living organisms). Many other skincare community specialists also highlighted the lack of transparency, creating a debate, which further added fuel to the fire.
Noida-based influencer and founder of an influencer marketing agency, Nitin Joshi, recently claimed that he personally purchased 10 sunscreen products from different brands, where around 6 of them failed to deliver even half of the sun protection factor, aka SPF, they tend to advertise.
Shared on his Instagram account last week, he claimed to have tested all these brands in an independent lab and personally funded the process. In his video, he said, “I have personally paid for these tests and invested over Rs 2.15 lakh to conduct this study with the sole purpose of educating fellow citizens about what they are applying on their skin.”
Sunscreens from the brands Lakme, Renee, Lotus, Dot & Key, Wishcare, Foxtale, Deconstruct, Aqualogica, Dermaco, and Minimalist were tested at two Government of India-accredited labs, i.e., MS Clinical Research Pvt Ltd in Bengaluru and the Center for Cruelty-Free Testing in Meerut. Both laboratories used in vitro testing protocols, based on ISO 24443 and COLIPA 2011 standards, which are globally recognised for non-human SPF testing.
He clarified to maintain the global gold standard ethics and said in his video, “The intent of this video is strictly educational—to encourage awareness, informed choices, and conversations around sunscreen and skincare products,” he said. “It also aims to highlight the need for clearer specifications, standards, and gradings in categories such as skincare and sun protection in India.”
Test results revealed
The lab results shared by the influencer spread like wildfire in the market, where brands like Renee, WishCare, and Dot & Key were the worst performers. Lotus and Deconstruct were a tad better than them, whereas Foxtale remained within a tolerable range. On the other hand, brands like Minimalist, Derma Co., and Lakme met the expectations, and Aqualogica stood out with an exceptionally high SPF reading.
Concerns over the validity of the test and influencer bias
As soon as Nitin Joshi’s video went viral, it attracted many dermatologists and industry insiders, who raised questions about his being biased and the true validity of the lab test. One dermatologist commented, “What do you have to say about the proof that this is part of a marketing campaign that some influencers have received with a brief to promote your video?”
She further wrote, “In vitro (in glass) tests are not sufficient for SPF ratings. SPF tests need to be done in vivo (on living organisms). Many other skincare community specialists also highlighted the lack of transparency, creating a debate, which further added fuel to the fire.
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