Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration is overhauling sunscreen testing rules, requiring brands to conduct repeated SPF verification and lodge data before products reach retail shelves.

The regulatory shift follows testing conducted last year that discovered 16 out of 20 popular sunscreen formulations failed to deliver their claimed sun protection factor.

Consumer advocacy group Choice, industry body Accord Australasia and the Australian Sunscreen Association have backed elements of the framework while demanding that the TGA scrutinise the compliance costs and supply availability before codifying the rules. Under the proposed regime, personal care manufacturers must test finished shelf formulations rather than base batches, repeating trials across the stated shelf life of the product.

Brands currently sell sunscreens in Australia without lodging baseline laboratory data with the regulator prior to retail distribution unless specifically ordered to produce records. The updated rules eliminate that gap by forcing suppliers to lodge certified testing dossiers with the TGA ahead of retail launch.

Laboratory evaluation protocols will also change to accommodate in vitro testing methods conducted on plates rather than relying solely on human volunteer skin trials. The TGA confirmed human testing protocols will remain compulsory for specific categories, including water-resistant claims, to prevent degradation under real-world conditions.

The regulator decided against establishing an open public registry of brand testing results. Officials cited commercial confidentiality, trade secret protections and the risk that technical testing metrics would confuse shoppers.

RetailNews Asia sees this regulatory clampdown reshaping procurement margins for pharmacy chains, beauty retailers, and contract manufacturers across the Asia-Pacific region.

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