Australia plots tougher sunscreen regulation

By Lynsey Barber | Published: 27-Oct-2026

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has proposed reforms to sunscreen regulation in Australia to improve consumer confidence in SPF claims

Australian authorities have announced plans to strengthen the country’s sunscreen regulations to boost consumer confidence in SPF claims.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has outlined the new measures to “ensure their quality, safety and efficacy to protect consumers from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation, to reduce the incidence and impact of skin cancer”, the regulator said in a statement.

The move follows the TGA's investigation into sunscreen claims, prompted by revelations last year by Australia’s consumer watchdog Choice that certain sunscreens did not live up to the SPF levels stated on labels.

Under the proposed reforms, testing requirements for sunscreen will be strengthened to improve the reliability of SPF claims and consumer trust in them.

This will include sponsors being able to use in vitro and in vivo testing, where appropriate, and they will also be required to provide testing data to the TGA at the time a product is listed.

The information will be held confidentially by the TGA.

Strengthening the accreditation of testing laboratories will also form part of the proposed reforms, as will referencing International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards directly in legislation.

SPF testing will also be required on the finished product at the time, as well as periodically while the product is in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG).

Meanwhile, quality requirements will also be developed for specific sunscreen ingredients in a bid to ensure that sunscreen products containing those ingredients are “of high quality and will perform as expected”, the TGA statement read.

New limits on SPF claims for cosmetic sunscreens have also been proposed to create a “clear distinction for consumers between sunscreens that are used for a primary purpose of UV protection and secondary (cosmetic) sunscreens,” the statement continued.

The reforms are also set to include a review of sunscreen good manufacturing practice (GMP) guidance, to “clarify expectations and responsibilities, strengthen manufacturing outcomes, and support continued confidence in the quality and performance of sunscreen products in Australia”.

The proposals follow a three month consultation with industry, testing laboratories, health professionals, consumer groups, academia and other stakeholders earlier this year, which garnered nearly 120 responses.

A timeline for implementing the proposals has not been put forward by the TGA.

However, the regulator said each reform “will take time to develop and will be implemented in a proportionate and targeted manner”.

The TGA will also embark on a further review and consultation related to SPF labelling, after the initial consultation garnered “mixed views” on a proposal to change how SPF ratings are displayed on sunscreen labels.

What is the Australian SPF testing scandal?

An investigation by the Australian consumer watchdog Choice last year found that several sunscreens it tested returned SPF levels below those stated on the bottle.

The results prompted a number of brands to pull some of their products from shelves, and Australia's sunscreen regulator, the TGA, launched an investigation.

The TGA identified that the base formula used by Ultra Violette in its Lean Screen SPF 50+ – which returned the lowest SPF of just four in Choice’s tests and was voluntarily recalled – was also used by several other brands.

Dozens of sunscreen products from a number of brands have since been recalled.