Our mission is to preserve and enhance Australia’s global leadership in sunscreen safety and efficacy by working in partnership with government, unions, industry, health experts, and community organisations.
Key Issues in Sunscreen Safety and Regulation in Australia
At the Australian Sunscreen Council (ASC), we represent a $500 million domestic industry with a shared responsibility: to ensure that every sunscreen and SPF cosmetic product manufactured or sold in Australia is safe, effective, environmentally responsible, and trusted by consumers.
We advocate for stronger oversight, smarter regulations, and industry-led best practices. Below are the core issues we champion across public policy, health, safety, and environmental stewardship.
1. Ingredient Safety: Protecting Consumers Through Transparency and Reform
Australian consumers trust the ingredients listed on sunscreen products to be safe — but this trust is under pressure.
Through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), we have discovered that multiple chemical UV filters approved in Australia lack recent toxicological reviews or have been subject to safety concerns overseas that remain unaddressed locally.
One example is 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor (4-MBC), a UV filter banned in 28 countries, including all EU member states, due to its hormone-disrupting properties and suspected carcinogenic effects. Despite this, it remains permitted in Australian sunscreens — and continues to be used by legacy manufacturers relying on outdated formulations.
Another concerning case is Homosalate, which is restricted to just 0.5% in the EU after safety reevaluations raised red flags about potential endocrine disruption. In contrast, Australia still permits Homosalate at concentrations up to 15%, placing our consumers at unnecessary risk.
We believe Australians deserve the same level of protection as their global counterparts. ASC calls for:
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Urgent reassessment of high-risk UV filters.
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Greater transparency from regulators.
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A public-facing system to flag ingredients under review or internationally restricted.
2. Eliminating Carcinogenic Contaminants: Benzene and Benzophenone
Australian-made sunscreens must be free from known carcinogens — yet recent global recalls and testing have uncovered instances of Benzene and Benzophenone contamination in sunscreen products, often stemming from poor-quality raw materials or chemical degradation.
While these ingredients are not intentionally added, they can appear due to unstable or poorly stored actives — particularly chemical UV filters like Octocrylene. ASC supports:
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Mandatory testing for carcinogenic contaminants across all imported and locally manufactured sunscreen products.
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Improved supply chain traceability.
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Stronger enforcement mechanisms to remove contaminated products from market swiftly.
In 2026, the ASC intends to publish a comprehensive State of the Sunscreen Market report, documenting testing data, ingredient compliance, and recommendations for reform.
3. Marine Protection: Promoting Reef-Safe Sunscreen Policy
Australia’s coral reefs are world treasures, and the evidence is growing that certain chemical UV filters — particularly Oxybenzone and Octinoxate — contribute to coral bleaching and marine toxicity.
In the United States, the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) has identified non-nano zinc oxide and titanium dioxide as the only UV filters currently recognized as safe for marine ecosystems.
Following Hawaii’s lead in banning harmful chemical filters, Australian adoption of a reef-safe sunscreen policy would:
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Encourage the use of environmentally responsible ingredients.
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Support our growing reef tourism economy.
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Reinforce Australia’s position as a global leader in marine protection.
ASC is actively engaging with government agencies and environmental scientists to establish Reef-Safe Zones, where only approved mineral sunscreens can be sold or used — beginning with sites such as the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and other vulnerable ecosystems.
4. Workforce Protection: Engaging Unions and High-Exposure Sectors
Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. Our outdoor workers — particularly in construction, transport, and logistics — face extreme and prolonged UV exposure, making access to reliable, high-quality sun protection a public health priority.
Through partnerships with unions and organisations like Danger Sun Overhead, the ASC supports initiatives to:
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Provide free or subsidised Australian-made mineral sunscreens to high-risk sectors.
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Educate employers and workers about proper SPF use and reapplication.
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Raise awareness about ingredient safety and trust in locally manufactured products.
We believe the sunscreen industry plays a critical role in occupational health and safety — and we are committed to ensuring every worker has access to trusted, evidence-backed protection.
5. Imported Cosmetics: A Regulatory Gap That Puts Australians at Risk
Every day, Australian consumers purchase cosmetic products — including moisturisers, lip balms, BB creams, foundations, and SPF-rated tinted products — believing they are safe and held to high standards. But in reality, many imported cosmetics enter the Australian market without undergoing routine testing for heavy metals or other contaminants.
A Hidden Risk
Unlike therapeutic sunscreens regulated by the TGA, cosmetics fall under NICNAS and ACCC oversight, where there is currently no requirement for batch testing of imported products for carcinogens, heavy metals, or ingredient degradation.
This creates a dangerous blind spot. Internationally, cosmetics have been found to contain:
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Lead, mercury, and arsenic in colourants and skin-lightening products.
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Benzene contamination in aerosol and gel products using ethanol or isobutane.
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Benzophenone, a carcinogenic degradation product of Octocrylene — which may form during transit or extended storage.
Because Australia does not mandate regular post-market surveillance or batch-level contaminant testing for imported cosmetics, these products can enter and remain in circulation for years without scrutiny.
Unfair to Australian Manufacturers
This regulatory leniency places Australian manufacturers at a commercial disadvantage. While they must:
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Source pharmaceutical-grade raw materials,
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Adhere to GMP standards,
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Undergo annual TGA audits (for listed products),
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Conduct batch stability, contamination, and preservative efficacy testing,
…many overseas suppliers avoid these costs entirely and flood the market with cheaper, less regulated alternatives — undermining the high standards maintained by ethical local producers.
The result is a two-tier system:
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Trusted, locally made products face stringent compliance, increasing costs.
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Imported products bypass testing and are sold at lower prices, despite higher contamination risks.
The Need for Action
The ASC calls for urgent reform to address this inconsistency and protect public health by:
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Introducing mandatory contaminant screening (including heavy metals, benzene, and benzophenone) for all imported cosmetic products.
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Requiring disclosure of country of manufacture and full ingredient traceability.
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Empowering regulators to conduct regular random testing of cosmetics already on Australian shelves.
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Enforcing recalls and public notifications where contamination is found.
What We Support
We are proud to represent Australian manufacturers who:
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Use certified non-nano zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which are proven safe for both skin and marine life.
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Routinely test products for microbial contamination, ingredient degradation, and environmental safety.
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Are committed to cruelty-free, reef-safe, and plastic-neutral production.
In contrast, many imported cosmetics are not held to these standards — and this is to the detriment of Australian consumers, local jobs, and our broader public health system.
ASC’s 2026 Report: A First-of-Its-Kind Industry Testing Snapshot
As part of our transparency and consumer protection agenda, the Australian Sunscreen Council will release a nationwide testing report in early 2026, covering:
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Contaminant levels in imported versus Australian-made sunscreens and SPF cosmetics.
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Prevalence of high-risk ingredients in the market.
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Recommendations for policy reform and enforcement.
We invite regulators, retailers, and responsible brands to join us in ensuring every product on Australian shelves is safe, clean, and worthy of consumer trust.