The UV filters in Australian sunscreens
Keep using sunscreen. The TGA says its benefits far outweigh any risks, and nothing here says a product is unsafe: the limits are proposals.
Australian sunscreens can only use UV filters from the TGA’s list of permitted ingredients. These are the ones the 938 sunscreens we list actually use, by how many products have each. Three are under review.
| Filter | Also called | Products | Typical % | Highest % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avobenzone | butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane | 594 | 3.5% | 5% |
| Octocrylene | · | 543 | 6% | 10% |
| Octisalate | octyl salicylate, ethylhexyl salicylate | 390 | 5% | 5% |
| Homosalate Under review | HMS, homomenthyl salicylate | 356 | 10% | 15% |
| Zinc oxide | · | 301 | 24.5% | 40% |
| Bemotrizinol | Tinosorb S, bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine | 297 | 2% | 8% |
| Ethylhexyl triazone | Uvinul T 150, octyl triazone | 297 | 3% | 5% |
| DHHB | Uvinul A Plus, diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate | 125 | 3% | 10% |
| 4-MBC Under review | 4-methylbenzylidene camphor, enzacamene | 94 | 4% | 4% |
| Ensulizole | phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid | 93 | 2% | 4% |
| Bisoctrizole | Tinosorb M | 85 | 2% | 6% |
| Octinoxate | octyl methoxycinnamate, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate | 82 | 8% | 10% |
| Titanium dioxide | · | 45 | 2.96% | 14.05% |
| Oxybenzone Under review | benzophenone-3, BP-3 | 27 | 3% | 6% |
| Tris-biphenyl triazine | Tinosorb A2B | 14 | 1.7% | 3% |
| Drometrizole trisiloxane | Mexoryl XL | 11 | 0.5% | 6% |
| Bisdisulizole disodium | Neo Heliopan AP | 10 | 2.6% | 2.6% |
| Ecamsule | Mexoryl SX | 7 | 0.99% | 2.48% |
| Polysilicone-15 | Parsol SLX | 6 | 2% | 2% |
| Amiloxate | isoamyl p-methoxycinnamate | 3 | 4% | 5% |
“Typical” is the middle product’s percentage. Counts are products, not brands.