Comparison of sun protection products tested by Stiftung Warentest and ?ko-Test

摘要

AbstractThe results of Stiftung Warentest, ?KO-TEST and the official control laboratories are poorly comparable because of their different objects, even if there are some overlaps. Given the example of cosmetic sunscreen products, which had been tested by all 3 institutions over several years, the differences in testing and evaluation are presented. We show that also the testings of the single institutions can barely be compared over the years, because the criteria mostly change from year to year. Some of these changes were due to legal changes, but most of them had no legal basis and are not easily comprehensible for consumers. A further clear difference is the public perception of the published test results. The results by the official control, which do not name concrete products, normally get less attention.