Peak Industry Body for Australian Sunscreen

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.

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and SPF products, under the cosmetic rules of Southeast Asia's ASEAN countries, and products that don't comply must be withdrawn.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.

Homosalate found at potentially harmful levels in more than 50% of Queensland children, as the TGA has already concluded it is no longer low risk at the currently permitted concentration.

Australian Sunscreen Council has received international, national, trade and broadcast media coverage for its advocacy on sunscreen safety, UV-filter transparency, testing standards, children’s sunscreen marketing and regulatory accountability.

A new peer-reviewed study has identified 4-MBC, a sunscreen UV filter already banned in major overseas markets, as one of several environmental pollutants associated with higher fasting blood glucose in healthy adults.

The Australian Sunscreen Council’s complaint about Woolworths Kids SPF50+ sunscreen has drawn reporting from Inside FMCG and Retail World, and enquiries from Nine News, the Australian Financial Review and the Courier Mail. ASC says parents deserve clear evidence when a sunscreen marketed for children contains 4-MBC, a UV filter subject to bans, restrictions, removals or non-approval across 78 nations and overseas territories.

Environmental health scientist Dr Laura Vandenberg says concerns about chemical sunscreen ingredients should not be dismissed. The Australian Sunscreen Council calls for safer, evidence-led sunscreen regulation.

Australian Sunscreen Council member Joseph Mizikovsky attended a reception hosted by the U.S. Consul General in honour of Registrar Corp’s Chief Revenue Officer, Tim Rourk, engaging with key industry leaders on regulatory alignment, compliance, and international market access.

The Australian Sunscreen Council (ASC) continues to play a central role in informing public debate on sunscreen safety, regulation, and innovation in Australia. Over the past six months, ASC has been the go-to industry body for the country's leading newsrooms — including the ABC, The Courier-Mail, the Herald Sun, and Nine News — while also extending Australia's voice into international regulatory and scientific forums.

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.

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.

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.

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.