TGA Sunscreen Ingredient Review 2025: What It Means for Your Skin and Health
If you live in Australia, sunscreen is as essential as your morning coffee. But have you checked the ingredients list on your SPF lately? The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has been reviewing common sunscreen filters and three familiar names might soon be capped or cut entirely.
Let’s break down what’s changing, why it matters for your health (not just the reef) and how to choose a low tox sunscreen that protects both you and the planet.
The Ingredients Under TGA Review
The TGA is looking closely at:
Homosalate – A chemical UV filter linked to hormone disruption when used in high concentrations.
Oxybenzone (Benzophenone-3) – Connected to allergic reactions, hormone disruption and coral reef damage.
Benzophenone – Often a by-product of octocrylene, classed as potentially carcinogenic with long-term exposure.
These aren’t banned yet, but the TGA is proposing stricter limits to reduce lifetime exposure risks.
Why Now?
After reviewing toxicology data, the TGA found these ingredients can have margins of safety lower than preferred, especially for daily use over decades.
📅 Timeline:
Public consultation: Underway now
Decisions: September 2025
Likely outcome: Lower concentration limits or ingredient removal
The “Reef Safe” Distraction
Here’s where I have to roll my eyes a little. The push to phase out oxybenzone is mainly marketed by “reef safe” brands with the spotlight on coral reefs, not human health.
Now, I’m a total beach bum and ocean lover. Protecting the reef is non-negotiable. But why is our own health barely part of the conversation?
Is it:
Instant gratification - “I’m tanned now, I’ll deal with the consequences later”?
Blind trust - “If it’s on a shop shelf, it must be safe”?
Or just good old-fashioned denial - “Don’t tell me, I don’t want to know”?
We need sunscreens that are safe for the reef and safe for the person applying them. Full stop.
Sunscreen Ingredients to Avoid in 2025
If you want to get ahead of possible formula changes, scan labels for:
Oxybenzone / Benzophenone-3
Homosalate
Octocrylene (can degrade into benzophenone)
In this transition phase be label smart - here is a list of popular Aussie SPF brands that historically have been known to use the ingredients being reviewed.
Banana Boat – Frequently includes homosalate, a chemical filter now under close watch by the TGA.
Nivea – Also known to feature homosalate in popular formulas.
Bondi Sands – Often uses homosalate in its beloved tanning & SPF blends.
Woolworths and Coles own-label sunscreens – These household giants regularly formulate with homosalate.
Cancer Council sunscreens – Have products containing homosalate (even though the council reassures users of safety).
What This Means for You
These well-loved brands may need to reformulate or adjust concentrations once the TGA’s September 2025 decisions land.
If you’re label-savvy and want to avoid homosalate, oxybenzone and benzophenone, you’ll need to double-check ingredient lists on your SPF staples.
Glo Younger–Approved Low Tox Sunscreens
Skip the chemical guesswork and go for mineral sunscreens that use non-nano zinc oxide or titanium dioxide:
Ethical Zinc – 100% natural zinc oxide, great for sensitive skin.
Zinc Armour+ – High-performance mineral protection for active days.
These options tick all the boxes: low tox, reef safe and effective.
How to Stay Vigilant
Read every label - even on “natural” sunscreens.
Choose mineral over chemical - non-nano zinc oxide is the gold standard.
Store sunscreen properly - heat speeds up chemical breakdown.
Reapply often - even the best sunscreen is useless if you skimp on it.
The Bottom Line
The TGA sunscreen ingredient changes aren’t about fear… they’re about refining safety so our daily SPF habit works with our health, not against it.
Until the September 2025 decision, the smartest move is to switch to mineral, low tox SPF you can trust. That way, you protect your skin, your health and yes, the reef because ageing youthfully starts with the choices you make today.