A sweeping review of sunscreen regulations aims to restore consumer confidence in popular products, but some experts fear it may be too little too late.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration has begun consultations on a new set of rules designed to ensure sunscreens meet their advertised claims.
It laid out a range of possible reforms in a consultation paper released on Thursday, including changes to sun protection factor (SPF) testing and labelling requirements.
The move follows a 2025 investigation by consumer group Choice that found many popular brands were falling short of their promises.
Testing revealed 16 of 20 popular sunscreens failed to meet their SPF 50+ claims, including one product that tested as low as SPF 4.
Those findings created a "trust deficit" among consumers, Griffith University Business School Adjunct Associate Professor Graeme Hughes said.
"The 2025 Choice review was a hold-on-to-your-hat moment that eroded the premium protection narrative that sunscreen had," he told AAP.
"This has led to a measurable trust deficit, where consumers are now questioning their use of sunscreen, the brands and entire regulatory framework that allowed these products onto shelves in the first place."
Stronger regulations alone would not rebuild confidence without broader, structural changes to ensure consistency between tested and sold products, Assoc Prof Hughes said.
"People want greater transparency and to know that the bottle they buy in 2026 is just as effective as the one originally tested for the TGA listing," he said.
The TGA has identified major flaws in how SPF is tested and verified.
Sunscreens are treated as "listed" medicines, meaning they are not routinely assessed before hitting shelves and are instead policed after the fact.
Current methods using human subjects can produce inconsistent results, while some testing laboratories have delivered unreliable data.
The regulator is considering stricter oversight and accreditation of testing labs, clearer and more consistent labelling, and expanded use of more consistent testing methods.
The review also targets loopholes that allow some cosmetic products to make high SPF claims without falling under the same regulatory scrutiny.
Consumer confidence in sun-protection products is crucial in Australia, where sun exposure poses major health risks.
"Given Australia has the highest rates of skin cancer and melanoma in the world, with around 2,000 people dying each year, it is critical that the regulatory settings are appropriate to ensure consumer confidence in sunscreens," the regulator said.
Choice's campaign director Andy Kelly welcomed the TGA's announcement but warned the consultations need to lead to tangible regulatory changes.
"We have preferences on what some of the solutions would be but, like with all (consultations), one option is just to do nothing," he told AAP.
"At the moment, it's not clear where any of this will land."
Australian Associated Press
