Overview

• The Therapeutic Goods Administration has opened a probe into CHOICE’s tests and warned it will take regulatory action if products fall short of advertised SPF standards.
• CHOICE’s independent trials of 20 SPF50 and SPF50+ sunscreens found only four met their labeled sun protection factor.
• Ultra Violette’s Lean Screen SPF50+ recorded SPF4 in Australian testing and SPF5 in a German validation, yet the brand’s own laboratory trials reported values above SPF60.
• Major manufacturers including Cancer Council and Bondi Sands have disputed CHOICE’s findings by citing independent tests that confirm their products meet label claims.
• Cosmetic chemists and regulators note human-based SPF testing can vary and stress that applying enough sunscreen correctly is more important than the precise SPF rating.