Australia's Sunscreen Scandal Sparks Major Regulatory Overhaul

Thu Mar 26 2026 12:45:25 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration proposes new regulations for sunscreen products after a scandal regarding false SPF claims. Discover the reforms aimed at ensuring better protection against skin cancer.

Following a public outcry over sunscreen products failing to deliver promised SPF protection, Australia's regulator plans a series of reforms. The new measures include simpler labeling, increased testing oversight, and efforts to restore consumer trust in sunscreen efficacy. The changes come as Australia faces the highest rates of skin cancer globally, with 2,000 deaths annually attributed to the disease.

Australia's sunscreen regulator has proposed sweeping reforms to the industry after a recent scandal saw dozens of popular brands pulled off shelves.

An experiment by a trusted consumer advocacy group last year found many Australian sunscreens were not providing the protection they claimed to, sparking public outrage in a country that is a skin cancer hotspot.

An investigation by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation also alleged issues with a leading laboratory that tests sunscreen efficacy and a manufacturer that produced a common base formula.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has now announced plans to simplify sunscreen labeling and introduce more oversight at testing labs.

Proposals to improve and expand testing requirements, require accreditation for testing laboratories, and increase transparency will help restore consumer trust in the reliability of SPF claims, stated Andy Kelly from Choice, the group responsible for the report at the center of this scandal.

About 2,000 people die from skin cancer and melanoma every year in Australia, with two out of three Australians expected to have at least one skin cancer removed in their lifetime.

Despite already having some of the strictest sunscreen regulations in the world, the TGA believes the time is right for an overhaul to improve the reliability and transparency of sun protection factor (SPF) testing and the quality of certain ingredients and formulas.

One proposal suggests removing the SPF number rating and replacing it with simpler labels indicating low, medium, high, and very high sun protection.

This overhaul follows reports revealing that many sunscreens, including premium brands, failed to meet their advertised SPF ratings, with one product claiming an SPF of 50+ actually rated at just SPF 4.