A popular Australian sunscreen brand is pulling one of its products from shelves following a stand-off with a consumer advocacy group who found it had failed to meet its SPF claims.

Ultra Violette will stop selling its Lean Screen SPF 50+ Mattifying Zinc Skinscreen after SPF testing done by the brand revealed inconsistent results.

Over the eight times it was tested for its SPF data, the sunscreen returned the results: 4, 10, 21, 26, 33, 60, 61 and 64.

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“Given this pattern of inconsistency in testing, we have decided to withdraw Lean/Velvet Screen from the market, effectively immediately,” the brand’s co-founders, Ava Chandler-Matthews and Bec Jefferd, said on Friday.

“We are deeply sorry that one of our products has fallen short of the standards we pride ourselves on and that you have come to expect of us.”

Consumers who have purchased the product will be eligible for a refund and a product voucher.

The announcement comes after consumer advocacy group CHOICE released its test results of 20 sunscreens with SPF 50 or 50+ labels in June.

It found only four met their stated SPF claims.

The worst sunscreen was the Ultra Violette Lean Screen SPF 50+ Mattifying Zinc Skinscreen, which returned an SPF of 4.

Ultra Violette co-founder Ava Chandler-Matthews responded to CHOICE’s testing in a seven-minute-long video in which she questioned several of the group’s testing methods.

The company tested the SPF of the product at an independent, third-party lab.

Chandler-Matthews showed a screenshot of the results of one test which said the sunscreen achieved a mean SPF value of 64.32.

A second test found the product had an SPF value of 61.7. The results were sent to CHOICE.

CHOICE said 18 of the 20 sunscreens underwent two five-person panel tests.

After the Ultra Violette product received an SPF result of 4, a different batch of the product was sent to a laboratory in Germany for a “validation test”. This test returned an SPF of 5.

Chandler-Matthews said five-person panel tests do not meet industry standard.

Ultra Violette used 10 people in each of its latest round of testing, Chandler-Matthews said.

She also said CHOICE’s decision to decant the sunscreen it tested into different jars could have impacted the results.

In response, CHOICE chief executive Ashley de Silva said she stood by the company’s “rigorous” sunscreen testing methods.

Following Ultra Violette’s decision to pull the sunscreen from shelves, de Silva it confirmed a “clear problem” with how sunscreen is regulated and tested in Australia.

“Without CHOICE’s investigation, Ultra Violette’s Lean Screen would still be on shelves, despite the fact that it does not provide anywhere near the amount of sun protection it claims to,” she said.

“CHOICE is calling on the TGA to urgently provide an update on its investigation. Ultra Violette’s product may not be the only product that is affected and consumers deserve to know whether they can continue to trust SPF claims in Australia.”

Ultra Violette to implement sweeping changes

Ultra Violette said it would no longer be working with the third-party manufacturer that created Lean Screen.

It is also no longer working with the original testing lab of the sunscreen and instead dealing with a “new and wider network of testing facilities”.

“Every new Ultra Violette product will be SPF testes at a minimum of two different independent labs prior to launch,” Chandler-Matthews and Jefferd said.

“We’ve increased the frequency of retesting to 18 months, using off-the-shelf market samples, and will continue to take immediate action if we see any discrepancies.”

The co-founders thanked customers for its ongoing loyalty and support and vowed to do better.

“Trust is built and rebuilt over time and we know we have work to do.”

Customers who have purchased the Lean Screen sunscreen should visit Ultra Violette’s website for details on how to claim a refund.