Industry leaders and union representatives attend the Australian Sunscreen Council’s discussion on SPF testing and sunscreen ingredient safety, led by Dr Yousuf Mohammed and Dr Rocky Chowdhury.

For decades, Australians have been told to avoid the sun at all costs — but new global research suggests that message may no longer fit the science. Epidemiological studies from the UK and Sweden show that people who get more sunlight live longer, with reduced all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality.

New evidence links chemical UV filters in sunscreens to breast cancer risks. The ASC urges Australians to prioritise physical protection and mineral sunscreens.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has announced that 21 sunscreen products sharing a common base formula  are being recalled,...

Freedom of Information requests have revealed that 21 sunscreen active ingredients on Australia’s permissible list were never properly safety assessed by the TGA. Internal documents confirm only Zinc Oxide is considered safe, with Titanium Dioxide flagged for possible concerns. For decades, Australians have been applying sunscreens containing chemicals the regulator itself has never cleared for safety.

For decades, Australians have been told that “the benefits of sunscreen outweigh the risks.” But this slogan hides important truths: not all sunscreens are equal, some UV filters have unresolved safety concerns, and real-world evidence shows sunscreen use alone has not reliably reduced melanoma. This blog explains what the science actually tells us, and why physical protection and mineral sunscreens are the clearest net-benefit strategies.

Australia has the highest rates of skin cancer in the world — yet skin cancer rates continue to rise despite decades of sunscreen promotion. Recent research, including a major McGill University study, found that sunscreen users were nearly twice as likely to report a history of skin cancer. This “sunscreen paradox” arises because most sunscreens are UVB-biased, block burning but not deeper-penetrating UVA, and even contain anti-inflammatory agents that mask redness.

The Australian Sunscreen Council endorses this formal submission to the TGA calling for a ban on the UV filter 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor (4-MBC). Authored by Dr. Abhinandan Chowdhury, it outlines the conclusive scientific evidence, toxicity concerns, and international precedent for its immediate removal from Australian sunscreens.

EU has banned 4-MBC, the UK advisory body found no safe level, and the FDA deems enzacamene not GRASE—yet Australia still permits it. This ASC analysis reviews the official evidence, documents detection in human breast milk (2.10–134.95 ng/g), and calls for a TGA re-review.

Australian Sunscreen Council warns: products over 0.28% homosalate or 1.0% oxybenzone cannot be considered safe—stop use now.

The Australian Sunscreen Council (ASC) notes today’s ABC News report that Ultra Violette has withdrawn its Lean Screen product after additional testing returned SPF results ranging from 4 to 64, well below the label claim in several tests.

By Dr. Yousuf Mohammed, Expert Member, Australian Sunscreen Council The primary duty of the Australian Sunscreen Council (ASC) is to...

In July 2025, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) launched Federal Court proceedings  against Edgewell Personal...

A peer‑reviewed study published in Chemosphere  (2023) reports that combined exposure to organic UV filters —the chemical actives found...

On 8 July 2025 the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) published a 19‑page pre‑meeting notice proposing new Schedule 5 (CAUTION) listings for three petro‑chemical sunscreen ingredients: homosalate, oxybenzone (benzophenone‑3) and benzophenone.