Australians warned against relying on cosmetic ‘sun balms, sun sticks’ to protect their skin

Using sunscreen during summer — and in many parts of the country, all-year round — should be a no-brainer.

But experts are warning Australians to be cautious of relying on “sun drops, sun sticks, sun balms” and other cosmetic products to protect themselves from skin cancer-causing ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

Australia has strict sunscreen regulations enforced by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), but there are concerns some companies are finding loopholes to sell “sun protection” products through clever packaging and social media marketing.

Queensland registered nurse and Bond University researcher Jessica Stokes-Parish said it was a problem that had become particularly rife in summer months.

“What I’ve been seeing is companies that are marketing their product as a sunscreen but they’ve not gone through the TGA testing processes to have their product listed as a sunscreen,” she said.

Dr Stokes-Parish said social media marketing had fuelled consumer confusion, particularly among young women.

“They may be applying a product that has no sun protection whatsoever, increasing their risk of ageing and skin cancer from UV rays,” she said.

A TGA spokesperson said it had received reports related to “alleged non-compliance of sun protection products” but couldn’t comment on whether any were subject to investigation or compliance and enforcement action.

Is your sunscreen really a sunscreen?

There is an easy way to tell if your sunscreen is a TGA-regulated sunscreen.

And that’s to check the packaging for the letters “AUST L” (or in some cases, “AUST R”) followed by a number.

That means the product is listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) and has gone through all the necessary pre-market testing to be a regulated, therapeutic sunscreen.

You can also search for the product through the ARTG online database.

Therapeutic sunscreens, which are regulated by the TGA, include:

• Primary sunscreens (products used primarily for protection from UV radiation that have a SPF or Sun Protection Factor of 4 or more)
• Some secondary sunscreens (such as moisturisers with an SPF greater than 15)

SPF is a measure of how well a sunscreen protects the skin from sunburn. For example, SPF30 filters 96.7 per cent of UV radiation, while SPF50 filters 98 per cent (as long as they’re applied correctly in sufficient amounts at regular intervals).

Cosmetic chemist and science educator Michelle Wong said therapeutic sunscreens must meet certain manufacturing quality standards and contain only approved ingredients (which have been assessed for safety and quality by the TGA).

It is also mandatory for therapeutic sunscreens to be broad-spectrum, which means they offer protection against UVB and UVA rays, both of which contribute to increased skin cancer risk.

“These [sunscreens] are the ones that, in general, people should rely on for sun protection,” Dr Wong said.

Therapeutic vs cosmetic sunscreens

There is another group of sunscreens in Australia which aren’t regulated by the TGA — these are known as cosmetic sunscreens. They include:

• Lip products with SPF 4 or more
• Tinted bases and foundations with SPF 4 or more
• Moisturisers with SPF between 4 and 15 (under 300g or 300ml)
• Sunbathing skincare products with SPF between 4 and 15 (under 300g or 300ml)

Cosmetic sunscreens aren’t considered therapeutic goods, and are instead regulated under cosmetic and consumer goods standards.

While they contain sunscreen, their primary purpose is something else, said Sally Blane, deputy chair of Cancer Council’s National Skin Cancer Committee.

“A therapeutic or primary sunscreen is just a sunscreen — it has very strict regulations put in place by the TGA,” she said.

“Cosmetic sunscreens don’t have as much regulation to meet those minimum standards.”

In some cases, cosmetic products like foundations and BB creams may have an SPF as high as 30 or 50.

A TGA spokesperson said if a product makes an SPF claim, regardless of whether it’s therapeutic or cosmetic good, it must comply with the Australian/New Zealand Sunscreen Standard.

But in order for a product to provide the actual level of SPF it claims to, it almost always needs to be applied liberally, and reapplied throughout the day. And when it comes to applying make-up, that probably means using more than you normally would, Dr Stokes-Parish said.

Whenever the UV Index is 3 or above, the Cancer Council recommends applying at least one teaspoon of SPF 50 sunscreen to the face (including neck and ears), and reapplying it every two hours.

Ms Blane said people should always use a therapeutic sunscreen under their make-up — even if their make-up is labelled SPF.

“Although the [cosmetic] product itself might meet that minimum standard in terms of SPF, it’s the way you’re using it [that matters],” she said.

“It’s still the recommendation to put on sunscreen first — in the quantity as directed — and then you would put your make-up over the top.”

‘Disturbing’ social media messaging

First launched in 1981, the Cancer Council’s famous “slip, slop, slap” campaign is as relevant today as it was three decades ago.

In 2007, it was updated to include “seek” and “slide” — but young people now have another “s'” word to contend with: social media.

A recent Tik Tok trend that saw people sunburning tan lines into their chests had experts disturbed at the glamorisation of tanning.

Another claimed that “natural” homemade ingredients worked better as sunscreen for sensitive skin.

The TGA strongly advises against using homemade sunscreens, which have been shown to offer minimal protection.

A spokesperson from the regulator also said consumers should be aware that there were no guarantees about the safety of products purchased from overseas if they were not approved for supply in Australia.

“Products that are imported into Australia for commercial supply must be included in the ARTG to be lawfully supplied in Australia,” the TGA spokesperson said.

Teenagers Ella McGillivray, Summer Missenden, and Emily Levi said they had seen videos online promoting cosmetic products for sun protection.

“I’ve definitely seen influencers on social media and a lot of people using them,” Ella said.

Research published last year found deaths in Australia from non-melanoma skin cancer had almost doubled in the past 20 years, from 400 deaths a year in 2001 to nearly 800 in 2021.

The study, led by skin cancer researcher Andrew Dettrick, found the “rapidly rising” rate of non-melanoma deaths could only partially be attributed to Australia’s growing and ageing population.

“We know that people under 35 still think that tanning is safe for them because they’re young,” Dr Dettrick said.

“That’s simply not true.

“UV exposure is a bit like smoking: every cigarette causes damage, and every time you’re out in the sun, UV radiation causes damage.”