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Australian and New Zealand Sunscreen Standard AS/NZS 2604:2012 – Regulation Impact Statement – Department of Health and Ageing

On 9 November 2012, the Department of Health and Ageing made regulations adopting a new sunscreen standard. The new standard allows products to be labelled with a sun protection factor (SPF) rating of up to SPF 50+, compared with the previous standard which limited claims to SPF 30+. The new sunscreen standard also requires greater protection from UVA radiation – which causes skin cancer – by setting out more stringent requirements for broad spectrum performance. It will cost industry $45,000-$175,000 to develop a new sunscreen in line with the new standard – a similar cost to the previous standard. It is likely that the price to consumers of a SPF 50+ sunscreen will be 15% to 30% higher than a typical SPF 30+ product. However, the products will deliver significantly better protection from harmful UV radiation than those currently available in Australia. In addition, the new standard will align with international standards, allowing easier importation of sunscreens and potentially increase exports of Australian-made products. A Regulation Impact Statement was prepared by the Department of Health and Ageing and assessed as adequate by the Office of Best Practice Regulation.