Clinique sued over claims SPF 50 sunscreen delivers far less protection

Clinique sunscreen class action lawsuit overview:

• Who: Plaintiff Maria Krasnova filed a class action lawsuit against Clinique Laboratories LLC.
• Why: Krasnova claims Clinique falsely advertises its sunscreen as providing a higher SPF than it actually does.
• Where: The Clinique sunscreen class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court.

A new class action lawsuit accuses Clinique of falsely advertising its sunscreen as providing a higher SPF than it actually does.

Plaintiff Maria Krasnova filed the class action complaint against Clinique Laboratories on Dec. 29 in California federal court, alleging violations of state and federal consumer laws.

According to allegations made in her class action lawsuit, Clinique falsely advertises its “Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Mineral Sunscreen Fluid for Face” as providing SPF 50 protection, even though it only provides SPF 26 protection.

Krasnova claims that independent lab testing revealed the sunscreen offers “far less” protection than advertised, deceiving consumers into paying a premium for a product that does not deliver the promised sun protection.

“Defendant’s practices of falsely, deceptively and misleadingly representing that the product provides SPF protection of 50 … induced the plaintiff and numerous other consumers into either purchasing a product they otherwise would not have purchased at all, or paying significantly more for a product than they would have paid had it been labeled, distributed, advertised and promoted with accurate SPF representations,” the Clinique class action lawsuit alleges.

Class action: Clinique misleads consumers about sunscreen’s effectiveness

Krasnova claims she purchased the Clinique sunscreen from Macy’s website for $25.90, relying on the SPF 50 claim.

She says she would not have bought the product, or would have paid less, had she known the true SPF rating.

The class action lawsuit alleges that Clinique’s false advertising not only misleads consumers but also poses potential health risks by giving them a false sense of security about the level of sun protection they are receiving.

Krasnova looks to represent anyone in the United States who purchased Clinique’s SPF 50 Mineral Sunscreen Fluid for Face. She is suing for unjust enrichment, unfair competition, false advertising, breach of warranty, fraud and negligent misrepresentation and is seeking certification of the class action, damages, fees, costs and a jury trial.

This is not the first time a sunscreen brand has faced legal action over SPF claims. In 2025, consumers sued Sun Bum LLC, alleging the company falsely advertised the SPF level of its mineral sunscreen lotion.

What do you think of the allegations made in this Clinique sunscreen class action lawsuit? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiff is represented by Frank S. Hedin of Hedin LLP.

The Clinique sunscreen class action lawsuit is Krasnova v. Clinique Laboratories LLC, Case No. 1:25-cv-02060, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.

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