UK advertisers of sunbeds and tanning salons must not describe sunbed use as safe or link it to health, medical or vitamin D benefits, according to a new enforcement notice from the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP). The notice asks businesses to review their ads immediately; the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) says active monitoring will begin Dec. 14, 2026.

What the UK sunbed advertising rules cover

The notice applies across media, including salon websites, social media, magazines, newspapers and direct mail. CAP writes the advertising rules, while the ASA enforces them. The guidance says ads cannot claim that sunbeds treat medical conditions, produce vitamin D or provide health benefits, and must not imply that tanning with UV is safe or risk-free.

The ASA lists past rulings involving claims that sunbeds could ease eczema symptoms, affect mood or treat conditions such as psoriasis. The new notice brings those precedents together for advertisers and warns that health-related promises can mislead people or discourage them from seeking appropriate medical care.

Monitoring and possible enforcement

CAP tells advertisers to review their claims now. From Dec. 14, the ASA plans to use its Active Ad Monitoring system to scan for ads that breach the notice. The regulator says possible sanctions may include publicly identifying noncompliant advertisers, seeking removal of offending content or social media accounts, and referring persistent cases to Trading Standards.

The notice regulates advertising, not sunbed use

The notice is an advertising enforcement measure. It does not announce a general ban on sunbeds or change rules for consumers’ use of tanning salons. The ASA says it is acting on the wording and health claims used to promote the services. Its notice cites NHS and Cancer Research UK guidance about the risks of UV exposure, including increased skin-cancer risk.

Read more coverage in The Globuzz’s Health section.

Sources

Reporting and primary documents: Advertising Standards Authority notice; CAP enforcement notice PDF; The Independent.