An SPF report is a snapshot of one batch, on one day, in one laboratory. Dr Leslie Laquieze explains how to keep evidence valid for the life of a product, and why shared production lines are a point of vulnerability. By Dr Leslie Laquieze, PharmD, MSc, PhD, MBA, Expert Member, Australian Sunscreen Council Many sunscreen failures are not failures of the original evidence, but of what happened afterwards: a new supplier, a different emulsifier, a scaled-up process, or a pack th

“Blue light protection”, “infrared defence” and “antioxidant shield” are increasingly common sunscreen claims. Dr Leslie Laquieze explains what evidence each one needs, and why none of them can stand in for SPF, UVA or water-resistance testing. By Dr Leslie Laquieze, PharmD, MSc, PhD, MBA, Expert Member, Australian Sunscreen Council Science increasingly recognises that the skin responds to more than ultraviolet radiation. That creates genuine opportunities for innovation, and

Sponsors must already hold evidence that their sunscreen is safe. With Europe having banned 4-MBC and restricted homosalate, and the TGA now reviewing both, Dr Leslie Laquieze explains why product-specific safety data has become essential. By Dr Leslie Laquieze, PharmD, MSc, PhD, MBA, Expert Member, Australian Sunscreen Council Safety starts with the sponsor’s own dossier Under Australian law, the sponsor of a listed sunscreen must certify that the product meets all applicabl

Two laboratories, two very different SPF results. Dr Leslie Laquieze sets out a seven-step escalation pathway that helps sponsors find the cause and make a defensible claim decision, without falling into the trap of testing until they get the answer they want. By Dr Leslie Laquieze, PharmD, MSc, PhD, MBA, Expert Member, Australian Sunscreen Council Discordant SPF results are not rare. The Therapeutic Goods Administration’s March 2026 consultation paper on improving sunscreen

The Therapeutic Goods Administration does not accredit SPF laboratories, so the choice rests with sponsors. Dr Leslie Laquieze explains the TGA’s seven-tier ranking of laboratories, why mineral sunscreens are especially challenging to test, and what every company should demand from a test report. By Dr Leslie Laquieze, PharmD, MSc, PhD, MBA, Expert Member, Australian Sunscreen Council When a sunscreen fails independent testing, the first question is often not about the formul

Oxybenzone has been detected in breast milk, blood and amniotic fluid in studies. A Brazilian bill would ban it, and the Australian Sunscreen Council is pushing for Australia to follow.

Australia allows water-resistance claims of up to four hours, but the standardised immersion test does not reproduce every stress of real swimming or sport. Dr Leslie Laquieze explains what the claim means, how it must be proven and why reapplication advice still applies. By Dr Leslie Laquieze, PharmD, MSc, PhD, MBA, Expert Member, Australian Sunscreen Council For a country where so much sun exposure happens at the beach, in the pool and on the sports field, water resistance

SPF mostly measures protection against the rays that cause sunburn. Dr Leslie Laquieze explains why UVA protection must be measured separately, what changed in the international UVA method in 2026, and how to handle tinted products. By Dr Leslie Laquieze, PharmD, MSc, PhD, MBA, Expert Member, Australian Sunscreen Council A high SPF does not prove a sunscreen protects well against UVA. The two are related, but they are distinct domains, and they must be evidenced separately. W

Laboratory-based SPF methods that do not burn human volunteers are now international standards, and European regulators have reported strong agreement with human testing. Dr Leslie Laquieze explains how Australian sponsors should use them today. By Dr Leslie Laquieze, PharmD, MSc, PhD, MBA, Expert Member, Australian Sunscreen Council For decades, SPF has been measured by deliberately inducing mild sunburn on human volunteers. That is changing. Two international standards publ

An SPF test result of 55 is a high level of protection, but it does not support an SPF 50+ label in Australia. Dr Leslie Laquieze explains the in-vivo SPF method, the threshold that matters, and how to build a safety margin into high-SPF products. By Dr Leslie Laquieze, PharmD, MSc, PhD, MBA, Expert Member, Australian Sunscreen Council SPF 50+ is the most popular claim on Australian shelves, and the one most exposed to failure. The reason is simple: the threshold is higher th

In Australia, most sunscreens are medicines. Dr Leslie Laquieze explains why the classification decision must come first, and how the 2021 Sunscreen Standard and its transition rules shape every dossier. By Dr Leslie Laquieze, PharmD, MSc, PhD, MBA, Expert Member, Australian Sunscreen Council A sunscreen can look like a cosmetic, feel like a cosmetic and sit on a cosmetics shelf, yet still be regulated as a medicine. In Australia, the testing plan cannot be designed until the

A single SPF result is not a sunscreen dossier. Dr Leslie Laquieze explains the “Best Available Evidence” approach that sponsors and manufacturers should use to support every claim on an Australian sunscreen label. Reviewed and updated 20 October 2026 By Dr Leslie Laquieze, PharmD, MSc, PhD, MBA, Expert Member, Australian Sunscreen Council Australian consumers rely on the number on a sunscreen label more than almost any other piece of product information. That trust was teste

New Zealand has banned oxybenzone above 2.2% in body sunscreens and sprays, matching the European Union. Old stock can be sold only until 31 December 2026.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned two chemicals from US sunscreen, finding that "the risks associated with use of these active ingredients in sunscreen drug products outweigh their benefits" (FDA, 2026, p. 2). It found topical trolamine salicylate "is associated with potential serious adverse health effects due to its anticoagulant properties, which may increase the risk of bleeding" (FDA, 2026, p. 5). Australian sunscreens can still contain up to 12% trola

From 19 November 2026, benzophenone is banned as a cosmetic ingredient, including in sunscreens and SPF products, under the cosmetic rules of Southeast Asia's ASEAN countries, and products that don't comply must be withdrawn. Australia's medicines regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), said on its website that benzophenone "has possible carcinogenic risks". The Australian Sunscreen Council is calling for benzophenone to be banned in Australian sunscreen.

A bill in Michigan, in the United States, would ban oxybenzone and other benzophenones in cosmetic products from 1 January 2027. Oxybenzone is a chemical UV filter used in sunscreen. Australian sunscreens can still contain up to 10% oxybenzone. The Australian Sunscreen Council is calling on the TGA to ban oxybenzone in sunscreen, citing the TGA's own finding that oxybenzone "is not deemed to present a low risk to human health and safety" at the 10% maximum.

Researchers in Wuhan, China, tested the urine of 596 children. Australia still uses oxybenzone in sunscreen. The Australian Sunscreen Council is calling on Australia's medicines regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), to ban oxybenzone in sunscreen, citing the TGA's own finding that oxybenzone "is not deemed to present a low risk to human health and safety".

Benzophenone, a chemical California lists as causing cancer, can form inside your sunscreen the longer it sits in the bottle. The Australian Sunscreen Council is pushing for Australia to ban it.

Banned in 95 nations and found by Europe's chemicals agency to be an endocrine disruptor, 4-MBC is still used in Australian sunscreen. Türkiye is moving to ban it too.

Best Practice Guide for Sunscreen Evaluation in Australia