The British Beauty Council is supporting calls for suncare protection to be considered a daily skincare essential, making it exempt from 20% VAT taxation
The sun is slowly but surely showing itself, with much of the UK experiencing a ‘mini heatwave’ over the weekend. However, there is increasing evidence that many people are skipping SPF application due to current economic pressures.
According to Melanoma Focus, 1 in 10 people are not using sunscreen because it is too expensive. What’s more, two-thirds of people find SPF expensive and would use it more if it was cheaper.
Melanoma is currently in the top five most diagnosed cancers in the UK, with rates increasing by 32% over the past decade. Yet, 86% of cases of melanoma skin cancer can be prevented by adopting simple sun protection measures.
Knowing this, the Council is supporting the call from brands, retailers, and charities to remove 20% VAT taxation from suncream, together with better education on sun safety.
The Hut Groups’ LOOKFANTASTIC, Superdrug and Hello Sunday are just a few of the brands and retailers bolstering the industry’s united call for SPF tax exemption. And, this is being reinforced by calls from charities Face The Future, Melanoma Focus, Skcin and more.
As a first step, LOOKFANTASTIC has cut the cost of all suncare products by 20% as part of its ‘What the SPF?!’ campaign.
‘We believe sun protection is not a luxury but essential for healthy skin and the wellbeing of our customers. Therefore, as advocates for sun safety and daily UV protection, we are proud to offer an in-built 20% saving across our core suncare range this summer.
‘By taking this significant step to support our customers, we hope to make our suncare range more accessible and affordable for everyone,’ said Keely Gough, Managing Director of LOOKFANTASTIC.
In previous years, Superdrug has removed the VAT cost from its SPF removing 20% from its Solait lines.
Melanoma Focus amped up its campaign at the end of last year, delivering an open letter to the government highlighting the importance of SPF reclassification.
At the time, CEO of the organisation, Susanna Daniels said: ‘Skin cancers like melanoma can be deadly, but they are largely preventable. Sunscreen is an important weapon in the fight against melanoma and other forms of skin cancer but many people are struggling to afford this vital product.’
The British Beauty Council hopes to consolidate calls to government by reinforcing collaboration between retailers and other stakeholders.
On this activity, Victoria Brownlie, Chief Policy Officer at the Council said: ‘Sun safety is a basic need and should be treated as such… Challenging misconceptions around the necessity for year-round sun protection and its role in preventing cancer as well as reducing the burden on our health service is paramount.
‘However, making products accessible and most importantly affordable for all must also be a priority. The British Beauty Council therefore supports charity and industry-wide calls for better education around sun safety and the reclassification of SPF30+ sunscreen as an essential rather than cosmetic product by HMRC, thereby removing VAT.’
The Council is calling for HM Treasury and the Department of Health & Social Care to jointly commission a report looking at the potential cost benefits of removing VAT on SPF30+ sun protection and improving education on the importance of sun safety; together with a public consultation on the proposal.
