SUNSCREEN SHAKE-UP: WHAT THE NEW SPF CRACKDOWN MEANS FOR YOUR SUMMER SKIN

Photo: Unsplash

Just as we're digging last summer's sunscreen out of the bathroom cupboard, Australia's medicines regulator has announced the biggest shake-up of SPF testing in years.

If you've ever wondered whether the number on the bottle can really be trusted, this one is for you.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has outlined plans to toughen the way sunscreens are tested before they reach the shelves, the ABC reported this week.

What sparked the shake-up

In 2025, consumer group CHOICE tested 20 popular sunscreens and found 16 did not meet the SPF claims on their labels.

One product sold as SPF 50+ returned a result of just SPF 4 and was recalled, and a further 19 products sharing the same base formula were also pulled from sale, according to the ABC.

A later ABC investigation found that more than half of the products that failed had been tested by the same overseas laboratory.

What is changing

Under the proposals, brands would need to test each finished sunscreen, rather than just its base formula, several times before it can be listed with the TGA, then keep retesting it periodically over its shelf life.

Those results would be handed to the regulator confidentially before a product goes on sale.

At the moment, brands only provide their SPF data if the TGA asks for it.

The TGA also wants stronger international accreditation for the laboratories that carry out SPF testing, which it does not currently regulate.

Brands could also use in vitro testing, where sunscreen is applied to a plastic plate instead of volunteers' skin, although testing on people would remain for some formulas and for water-resistance claims.

Other measures include a clearer line between cosmetic and therapeutic sunscreens, quality standards for ingredients and updated manufacturing guidance.

The regulator is still considering labelling changes, including swapping SPF numbers for categories such as low, medium, high and very high.

TGA chief medical adviser Robyn Langham told the ABC its investigation found several factors could contribute to low SPF results, "not a single cause".

For now these are proposals rather than rules.

According to The Daily Aus, the TGA says the reforms take time to develop, and some, including the move to lab-based testing, will need parliamentary consideration.

Not everyone thinks it goes far enough

CHOICE has welcomed the plan but wants the regulator to go further.

Its director of consumer impact, Andy Kelly, pointed out that the TGA is not proposing to routinely check the data brands submit.

The consumer group would like results made public rather than kept confidential, and backed by a regular compliance testing program.

The TGA considered publishing SPF results but decided against it, citing confidentiality and the risk of technical data being misread.

You can read CHOICE's full response on its website.

How to get the most from your sunscreen this summer

None of this is a reason to ditch the sunscreen.

Australia has some of the highest skin cancer rates in the world, and the ABC notes Cancer Council's estimate that two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime.

Cancer Council's sunscreen application guide is a handy refresher.

Use sunscreen every day the UV Index is forecast to reach 3 or above, and apply it 20 minutes before heading outside.

Most of us use far too little: an adult needs about a teaspoon (5 ml) for each arm, each leg, the front of the body, the back of the body, and the face, neck and ears.

That's roughly seven teaspoons for a full-body application.

Reapply at least every two hours, and again after swimming, exercise, sweating or towelling dry, even if your sunscreen is labelled water-resistant.

Cancer Council also recommends pairing sunscreen with protective clothing, a broad-brimmed hat, shade and sunglasses, and it does not recommend aerosol sunscreens.

If you notice a new spot, or one that has changed, book in with your GP for a check.

Until the new rules take shape, the best sunscreen is the one you'll actually wear, generously and often.

Keep a tube by the front door and another in your beach bag.