More sunscreens have been temporarily pulled from sale or paused from supply over sun protection claim concerns, bringing the total number of affected sunscreens currently off the market to 18.
The nation's medicines regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), issued the advice yesterday while revealing six more products had been voluntarily removed from its register in the past two weeks.
It's the latest chapter in the saga sparked by a June Choice report that claimed more than a dozen popular sunscreens "failed" to meet their own SPF claims.
READ MORE: The one thing that's even more important than your sunscreen's SPF rating
The TGA yesterday said it had received preliminary test results on the base formulation used in Ultra Violette Lean Screen SPF50+ and an export-only variant – both of which the company voluntarily recalled in August – and 19 other products from 13 other companies.
Those tests found the formula was unlikely to have an SPF of more than 21 and "may, for at least some of the goods, be as low as SPF four".
The TGA said manufacturer Wild Child Laboratories had stopped manufacturing and supplying the base formulation but each sunscreen company would be carrying out its own tests.
"The TGA is considering whether to take regulatory action with respect to those sunscreens," it said.
"Each company is provided with an opportunity to respond to any proposed regulatory action before the TGA makes a decision."
The TGA also issued a warning about UK-based testing laboratory Princeton Consumer Research, saying it had "significant concerns" about the reliability of its tests.
It said "many" companies using the Wild Child-made base formula had – before being told of the regulator's concerns – relied on tests performed by PCR to support their SPF claims.
Wild Child Laboratories said the TGA had confirmed "no manufacturing issues were identified at our facility that could explain variability in SPF testing results" and said the discrepancies were "part of a broader, industry-wide issue".
"We understand the TGA has raised concerns about testing undertaken by PCR Corp and is conducting an ongoing investigation," chief executive Tom Curnow told 9news.com.au in a statement.
"Wild Child has ceased using PCR and initiated confirmatory testing with other accredited, independent laboratories to validate the SPF performance of our products.
"We remain committed to transparency, product safety, and supporting the introduction of more consistent and objective SPF testing standards across Australia."
The TGA said it had written to PCR but had not received a response.
In a statement to 9News.com.au Princeton Consumer Research said it "conducts sunscreen testing in good faith, to recognised industry standards, on the specific samples provided to us by sponsors at the time of testing".
The TGA yesterday released a list of sunscreens using the same base formulation.
It stated that where the company responsible for a sunscreen has decided to cancel or recall the affected goods, it is working to support them in doing so.
It also advised consumers who purchased a product from the list that they may wish to consider using an alternative product until the TGA completes its review.
Skincare brand Naked Sundays yesterday said it had commissioned more independent testing for its Collagen Glow Mineral Sunscreen, which uses the same base formula but wasn't tested in the Choice report.
"Preliminary results for Collagen Glow have now been provided to the TGA, confirming our variant provides high sun protection, poses no concern, and we will await further guidance from the regulator," it said.
"Naked Sundays partners with various manufacturers in the US and Australia, and no other Naked Sundays products in Australia and or worldwide are impacted," the company said.
"Naked Sundays is working closely with the TGA to ensure we uphold the highest standards for all our products, and we will adopt any new testing requirements that the TGA may impose as soon as they are in place."
Of the 21 products sharing the same base formulation, only two remain on the market in Australia: Allganics Light Sunscreen SPF50+ and GlindaWand The Fountain of Youth Environmental Defence Cream SPF50+.
The others have all been either voluntarily recalled and cancelled from the regulator's register or temporarily pulled from sale.
You can find a full and regularly updated list of the sunscreens using the Wild Child base formulation on the TGA website.
Princeton Consumer Research statement
Princeton Consumer Research conducts sunscreen testing in good faith, to recognised industry standards, on the specific samples provided to us by sponsors at the time of testing. Our studies are performed by trained professionals following written, validated protocols and rigorous quality controls. Over many years we have tested thousands of product samples for global clients using established methods designed to estimate SPF and related claims.
Sunscreen performance measured in a laboratory reflects the exact batch and condition of the sample submitted at that moment. Multiple factors outside the laboratory — such as manufacturing variability between batches, raw-material differences, packaging, storage conditions, product age, and in-market handling — can influence the SPF of products sold later. Testing is therefore one part of a broader quality and regulatory process that includes manufacturing controls, stability programs, and post-market surveillance by brands and regulators.
We can only speak to the data we generated on the samples we tested; we cannot opine on any subsequently manufactured or sold product that we did not test.
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