Could Australia Scrap SPF Numbers? Inside the TGA's 2025 Label Overhaul
Australia's sunscreen scandal triggered a regulatory rethink that could change what every SPF label looks like — here's whether dropping the numbers helps or hurts you.
Following the SunscreenGate testing controversy, the TGA opened a consultation proposing reforms that could replace the numerical SPF scale with low/medium/high/very high categories or add explanatory text like 'SPF30 blocks 97% of UVB rays,' alongside tighter lab oversight. Both CHOICE and industry voices resisted abandoning the familiar numbers.
Regulatory analysts note that category labels can simplify a confusing scale but risk erasing the meaningful gap between, say, SPF30 and SPF50+, while the TGA itself frames the review as a response to test-result discrepancies rather than a verdict on sunscreen safety.
Questions we get a lot
Is Australia actually getting rid of SPF numbers?
Not yet. The TGA opened a 2025 consultation that floated replacing numeric SPF with low/medium/high categories as one of several options, but it was a proposal, not a final rule. Other options keep the numbers and simply add explanatory text. Consumer and industry groups pushed back on removing the numbers entirely.
What triggered the TGA's sunscreen review?
The review followed independent SPF testing findings — widely dubbed 'SunscreenGate' — that flagged discrepancies between labelled and measured SPF on several products. The TGA responded with a statement addressing the findings and then opened a consultation on broader regulatory reforms, including stronger oversight of testing laboratories.
r/AusSkincare: 'If they ditch the SPF number, how am I supposed to know if my sunscreen is actually strong enough?'