Australia's 'SunscreenGate': One Base Formula, 21 Products, Multiple Brands
When dozens of sunscreen brands quietly share one factory formula, a single failure cascades into many - 2025's Australian recalls are a wake-up call about white-label SPF.
By December 2025 the TGA found that of 21 sunscreens sharing the same Wild Child Laboratories base formulation, 8 had been recalled or had manufacture ceased and 10 more had sales suspended; the base was found 'unlikely to have an SPF greater than 21,' with some products as low as SPF 4.
Regulators noted the shared base formulation was unlikely to have an SPF greater than 21 despite higher label claims, underscoring how a single contract-manufactured formula can compromise many branded products at once.
Questions we get a lot
What happened in Australia's 2025 sunscreen recalls?
By December 2025 the TGA found that 21 sunscreens shared the same Wild Child Laboratories base formulation. Of those, 8 had been recalled or had manufacture ceased and 10 more had sales suspended. The base was found unlikely to have an SPF greater than 21, with some products as low as SPF 4.
Which brands were affected?
Affected brands included Aspect Sun, Naked Sundays, We Are Feel Good Inc, Ethical Zinc and McoBeauty, among others sharing the same base formulation. Because they relied on one contract-manufactured formula, the failure spanned multiple labels. The TGA's market actions covered the full group of products.
How did so many brands share one formula?
Many sunscreen brands buy a ready-made base formulation from a contract manufacturer and sell it under their own labels. Trade-press reporting described the TGA launching a comprehensive review after an investigation exposed overclaimed SPFs. When the shared base underperforms, every brand using it is exposed at once.
r/AusSkincare: 'Half my sunscreen shelf is on the TGA list now - how do so many different brands end up with the exact same dodgy formula?'