As temperatures rise across various regions of Australia today, many individuals will be reaching for sunscreen to protect themselves from the sun. But what should you do if the sunscreen in your beach bag has been recalled?

Here is a comprehensive list of the sunscreens that have been recalled, along with instructions on what to do if you have one and how you can obtain a refund.

The first to be removed from store shelves in August was Ultra Violette’s Lean Screen SPF 50+ sunscreen.

Following this, several other sunscreens have been recalled due to using the same base formulation.

Moreover, additional sunscreens with the same base formulation have voluntarily withdrawn their listing from the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) and are currently under review by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

Additional sunscreens using the same base formulation have voluntarily cancelled their listing on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) and are under review by the TGA.

They include the following: 

Some sunscreens have paused supply in Australia and are also under review by the TGA.

They include the following: 

Allganics Light Sunscreen SPF50+ has not been recalled, cancelled or paused but is under review by the TGA.

Why are sunscreens being recalled in Australia?

Sunscreen products are being pulled from shelves due to concerns that their SPF may actually be lower than advertised.

That could increase the risk of sunburn when using a product and reduce the long-term effectiveness of preventing skin cancer.

Many of the recalled products use the same base formulation from manufacturer Wild Child Laboratories.

This is the same base used in Ultra Violette’s Lean Screen SPF 50+ sunscreen, which reportedly returned an SPF rating of just 4 in Choice’s independent testing.

The TGA also expressed concerns about UK-based testing company Princeton Consumer Research (PCR Corp).

A number of Australian sunscreen brands have used PCR Corp for SPF testing, including Ultra Violette.

The TGA is “considering whether to take regulatory action” with regard to SPF claim concerns.

How does sunscreen testing work?

SPF, which stands for sun protection factor, is a measurement of how well a product protects your skin against ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.

The higher the rating, the better and more long-lasting the protection.

SPF is measured by testing a product on human skin and measuring how long it takes to burn.

The TGA is not responsible for testing sunscreen sold here in Australia; that responsibility falls to individual sunscreen brands.

They send their products to accredited laboratories, many of which are overseas, for testing.

Testing involves applying the product to a person’s skin and exposing them to a solar simulator that imitates sunlight.

The lab measures how long it takes the skin to react where the product has been applied and where it has not, then compares the data.

Per the international standard for sunscreen testing, a product must be tested on at least 10 volunteers to calculate a product’s SPF accurately.

The SPF is the mean (average) of the SPF from each valid test.

Results can vary between different labs, often due to human error.

What to do if you have a recalled sunscreen

If you already own one of the sunscreens that have been recalled, you may be entitled to a refund.

The TGA advises consumers to return the product to the place you purchased it, then contact the sponsor (the brand behind the sunscreen) for a refund.