Sunscreen labels are required to comply with all labelling requirements for therapeutic goods as well as labelling requirements of the Australia New Zealand Sunscreen Standard adopted by the TGA.
Sunscreen labels provide the following information:
- if the product is on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG)
- the Sun Protection Factor (SPF)
- the level of sunscreen protection
- the UV protection e.g. broad spectrum
- active ingredients
- instruction for use:
- how much to use
- how often to reapply
- advice to:
- avoid excessive exposure to the sun and seek shade
- use protective clothing, hats and sunglasses.
- any advisory or warning statements relating to ingredients
- storage conditions
- expiry date.
What the AUST L identification number means
An AUST L number means the sunscreen is included on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG), which means it can be legally supplied in Australia. AUST L means the product is a listed medicine.
What is broad spectrum and sun protection factor (SPF)
The SPF indicates how effective the sunscreen is against sunburn. The higher the number, the stronger the protection.
The term broad spectrum means that sunscreen protects against the sun’s ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. UVA is the radiation that is believed to be the main cause of long-term damage. Sunscreens that are not broad spectrum only protect against UVB radiation.
How SPF is measured
SPF is measured on human skin in a laboratory. Scientists measure how long it takes for intense ultraviolet radiation (specifically UVB) to burn skin with the sunscreen liberally applied compared to bare skin. For example, if skin protected with a sunscreen takes 300 seconds to burn, but bare skin burns in 10 seconds, the sunscreen’s SPF is 30 (300 divided by 10).
SPF 30, 40 and 50 sunscreens give a ‘high’ level of protection.
The + (plus) sign associated with the SPF number means that the SPF rating is higher than the number. The + sign can only be used for sunscreen products with SPF 50. Products labelled SPF 50+ have an SPF of 60 or more and provide a very high level of protection.
| Sun Protection Factor | Protection |
|---|---|
| SPF 4, 6, 8, 10 | Low |
| SPF 15, 20, 25 | Moderate (or medium) |
| SPF 30, 40, 50 | High |
| SPF 50+ | Very high |
Other requirements for sunscreens supplied in Australia
The sponsor of a sunscreens must ensure the product:
- only includes only permitted sunscreen ingredients
- only includes permitted sunscreen indications
- is manufactured by a TGA approved manufacturing facility
- meets the testing and labelling requirements provided in Australian Sunscreen Standard adopted by the TGA
- meets all other therapeutic good legislative requirements, such as labelling and advertising.
If a sunscreen includes ingredients or indications that are not on our pre-approved list for listed therapeutic goods, it will need to be pre-market evaluated by us and included in the ARTG as a registered therapeutic good.