Australia's TGA Flags 21 Sunscreens After CHOICE Test (2025)
When a national regulator warns that 21 sunscreens may be far weaker than labeled, it's a lesson in why third-party SPF testing matters for the bottle in your bag.
Following CHOICE's findings, on September 30, 2025 the TGA advised consumers to find alternatives to 21 products sharing the same base formulation as Ultra Violette Lean Screen, after preliminary testing indicated the base was 'unlikely to have an SPF greater than 21' and could test as low as SPF 4.
Regulators at the TGA emphasized that the products remained under investigation and urged consumers not to rely on the labeled SPF in the meantime — a reminder that SPF claims depend on real, reproducible testing of the finished formula.
Questions we get a lot
What did Australia's TGA warn about in September 2025?
On September 30, 2025 the TGA advised consumers to find alternatives to 21 sunscreens that share the same base formulation as Ultra Violette Lean Screen. Preliminary testing indicated that base was unlikely to deliver an SPF above 21, with some products as low as SPF 4. The warning followed a CHOICE consumer-testing investigation.
How did one sunscreen test trigger warnings for 21 products?
The 21 flagged products all shared a single base formulation, so a problem in that base affected every brand built on it. CHOICE's testing prompted the TGA to investigate, and preliminary results suggested the shared base couldn't reach its SPF 50+ claim. It's a clear example of how white-label manufacturing can cause many products to fail at once.
r/AusSkincare: 'I've been using Ultra Violette Lean Screen all summer — the TGA just flagged it. Was I basically wearing SPF 21 thinking it was 50+?'