Australian sunscreen brands face stricter rules

Australian sunscreen manufacturers will be subject to stricter rules in the wake of a safety scandal that saw popular brands pulled off shelves.

The reforms, announced by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) on Tuesday, include stronger testing and quality requirements for specific ingredients.

This comes after a bombshell report last year by consumer advocacy group Choice which found that some popular sunscreens did not provide the level of protection their manufacturers claimed.

The new proposed regulations are "about making SPF claims more reliable" and giving the agency "faster access to evidence when concerns arise", Robyn Langham, the TGA's chief medical adviser, tells the BBC.

"Australians expect the SPF on the label to be backed by robust evidence," she said in a statement over email.

"These proposed reforms put that expectation at the centre of sunscreen regulation, with stronger testing requirements for the finished product consumers buy and repeat testing throughout its time on the market."

Under the new regulations proposed by the TGA, cosmetic sunscreen brands will also be limited in the skin protection factor (SPF) claims they can make.

This is to ensure "clear distinction for consumers" between sunscreens that are mainly made for UV protection and cosmetic products where UV protection is a secondary function.

Suppliers would also be required to provide their SPF testing data to the TGA when they list a sunscreen, and keep periodically testing the product throughout its shelf life.

Under current regulations, it's not mandatory for sunscreen manufacturers to provide testing data to the TGA unless requested.

The TGA said the reforms would be "implemented in stages, with further consultation where required".

The Choice report, published in June 2025, found that 16 of 20 tested sunscreens - including several premium, expensive brands - failed to live up to their advertised SPF rating.

One product, Ultra Violette's Lean Screen Skinscreen, which was voluntarily recalled last year, was marketed as having an SPF of 50+ but was found to offer only SPF 4.

The scandal sparked massive backlash in Australia, which has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world.

More than a dozen products were pulled from shelves or had their sales suspended as a result of the scandal.

The TGA proposed sweeping reforms to the sunscreen industry earlier this year, which included plans to make sunscreen labelling simpler and more oversight at testing labs.

Its statement on Tuesday said that changes to labelling would be made after further review and consultation.

Choice welcomed the reforms, saying in a statement on Tuesday that it was "pleased to see" the stricter rules proposed by the TGA.

However, the group pointed out that the TGA has not proposed to "routinely monitor and evaluate test results".

Choice also argued that that sunscreen test results should not be provided only to the TGA - as proposed by the regulator - but rather made publicly available and routinely monitored, "in the interest of transparency and public safety".