The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is progressing with the development of reforms to strengthen sunscreen regulation in Australia.
Australia has the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world, and sunscreen is a critical part of protecting Australians. The primary objective of the regulation of sunscreens is 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 reforms to sunscreen regulation that are being developed are intended to strengthen consumer confidence in sunscreen performance and ensure that sunscreen sponsors and manufacturers understand their regulatory obligations.
The proposed reforms have been informed by responses received from our public consultation - external site which occurred from March to May 2026. Almost 120 consultation responses were received from industry, testing laboratories, health professionals, consumer groups, academia and other stakeholders. The outcome of the consultation can be viewed on the Consultation hub - external site.
Reforms that will be developed include:
- Strengthening sunscreen testing requirements to improve confidence and reliability of SPF claims.
- Developing quality requirements for specific sunscreen ingredients to help ensure sunscreen products that include those ingredients are of high quality and will perform as expected.
- Limiting the SPF claims that cosmetic sunscreens can make so that there is clear distinction for consumers between sunscreens that are used for a primary purpose of UV protection and secondary (cosmetic) sunscreens.
- Reviewing 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.
Further review and consultation on SPF labelling will be undertaken at a later stage before progressing with any proposed labelling changes.
The TGA is engaging with academic and industry experts for advice on factors that underpin the quality, efficacy and safety of sunscreens in Australia.
Stakeholders can follow key developments and next steps as these reforms progress through the Sunscreen reforms page, Social media and TGA email updates.
Consumers can also visit the TGA's sunscreens hub to learn about how sunscreens in Australia are regulated and for updates.
