At LaGaia UNEDITED, we have always believed beauty is at its most powerful when it is understood, not simply marketed. In a world full of noise, quick claims, and glossy promises, our role is to bring the conversation back to truth: to skin health, to science, to the research and to advances in cosmetic understanding.
LaGaia UNEDITED's purpose is to create synergy between Mother Nature and science for unedited beauty results, protecting what makes you feel powerful. This is instilled in how, we as people behind the brand want to show up in the beauty industry. Not just a product, a voice.
That is exactly why sunscreen deserves a more intelligent conversation.
Kristen Laing-Herbert (BHScDT | BA.Comm), Co-Owner of LaGaia UNEDITED and People4ocean Sun care was recently hosted by Advanced Cosmeceuticals to inform and provide more clarity on the recent public discussion around sunscreen testing in Australia, which has left many consumers, clinics, and professionals asking the same questions: What does SPF really mean? How are sunscreens tested? What does TGA approval actually involve? And how do we speak about protection in a way that is both scientifically accurate and easy to live by? The TGA has said it is investigating inconsistencies raised by the 2025 CHOICE report and has also opened a 2026 consultation proposing stronger transparency, reliability, and laboratory oversight for sunscreen regulation.
The opportunity here is not to create fear. It is to rebuild skin literacy.
"We have reduced sunscreen to a number — and that is where we have lost the deeper conversation"
SPF has become the headline. Consumers look for a number on the front of a pack and assume it tells the whole story. But SPF is only one part of the truth. The TGA explains that SPF is a measure of protection against sunburn, which is mainly associated with UVB exposure, and notes that SPF 30 filters about 97% of UVB while SPF 50 filters about 98%. In other words, SPF matters, but it does not tell the full story of how the skin experiences ultraviolet radiation over time.
From a skin-health perspective, this distinction matters enormously. Burn is only one expression of UV injury. Much of what clinics and clients are trying to prevent every day — pigment dysregulation, collagen breakdown, oxidative stress, inflammation memory and visible ageing — sits in the broader conversation around broad-spectrum protection, not just the SPF number itself. The Australian regulatory framework reflects this by treating SPF, UVA performance and water resistance as separate testing concepts under different ISO methods.
What SPF actually measures
SPF is based on a biological endpoint called erythema, which is the visible redness response we associate with sunburn. Under the current Australian framework, therapeutic sunscreens rely on ISO 24444 for in vivo SPF testing. In this method, sunscreen is applied to human skin at a standard dose, protected and unprotected sites are exposed to controlled ultraviolet radiation, and the result is calculated by comparing how much UV is required to produce erythema on protected skin versus bare skin. That ratio becomes the SPF.
This is why SPF is useful, but also why it is limited. It is fundamentally a UVB-weighted burn-protection measure. It does not, on its own, fully describe how a sunscreen performs across the UVA spectrum, how it behaves after real-world wear, or how much protection a person will receive if they apply too little, miss areas, or fail to reapply. The TGA itself says sunscreen testing has inherent challenges and that variability in results is one reason reform is under consultation.
UVA and UVB: the biology every clinic should be able to explain simply
If we want people to use sunscreen more consistently, we need to explain ultraviolet exposure in a way that is both accurate and accessible.
The simplest version is this:
"UVB is what tends to burn the skin. UVA is what quietly contributes to the skin’s cumulative ageing and deeper damage over time."
That is not an oversimplification — it is an education tool.
Traditional SPF testing is centred on erythema, which is largely a UVB-driven response. That is why SPF has historically focused more on UVB than UVA. But long-term skin health requires a far broader lens. UVA protection is important because broad-spectrum protection is separately assessed under ISO 24443, the in vitro method used to evaluate a sunscreen’s UVA absorbance profile and support measures such as UVA protection factor and critical wavelength.
For the everyday client, this means sunscreen is not only a beach-day product. It is part of daily prevention. It supports the skin through cumulative exposure, not just dramatic exposure. It belongs in the same conversation as healthy ageing, pigmentation support, post-treatment care and preserving the integrity of the skin over time.
How sunscreens are regulated in Australia — and what TGA approval really means
This is where a great deal of confusion sits.
In Australia, many sunscreens sold primarily for sun protection are regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) as therapeutic sunscreens. Most of these products are included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) as listed medicines and carry an AUST L number. The TGA sets the regulatory framework, adopts the Sunscreen Standard, defines the evidence requirements, and has powers to investigate, audit, request information, and take post-market action where required.
But this is the important distinction: for most listed sunscreens, the TGA is not routinely laboratory-testing and individually pre-approving the SPF claim before the product reaches market. Instead, the sponsor must certify that the product complies with all relevant safety, quality and efficacy requirements and must hold the supporting evidence for those claims. That includes the appropriate SPF testing data. This is why the phrase “TGA approved” can oversimplify what is actually happening. This is were our "TGA approved" testing laboratories for SPF rating data and certification play it's most crucial role as these are the facilities confirming the SPF rating sponsors can claim on bottles. The more accurate language is that a sunscreen is TGA regulated and listed on the ARTG.
That distinction matters because it helps the public understand the roles clearly:
- the testing laboratory performs the SPF and related testing for claims
- the sponsor holds the evidence provided by testing laboratories
- the ARTG is the legal register for supply
- the TGA oversees the regulatory system and can intervene when concerns arise
That is also why the current consultation is significant. The TGA’s proposed reforms include improving the reliability and transparency of SPF testing, adopting newer testing technologies faster, strengthening oversight of testing laboratories, and updating broader regulatory settings to improve consumer confidence. This will only be positive for our sun care market, having shined a light on the need to more robust methodologies means the future of our sun care is brighter than ever.
Why mineral sunscreens are part of a more considered conversation
For many years, mineral sunscreens were unfairly dismissed as thick, ghostly, heavy, and difficult to wear. Modern formulation has changed that. Brands using zinc-based systems have increasingly improved dispersion, tint, texture and finish so that wearability supports real-life compliance. That matters because efficacy is not only about what a formula can achieve in a controlled test — it is also about whether a person will apply it generously and wear it consistently.
This is part of why People4Ocean’s story is so meaningful. People4Ocean is founded by marine biologists Austin and Louise, who have worked on reef restorations projects around the globe and have seen the marine life's fragility first-hand. The brand's mission as protecting, nurturing and restoring the beauty and wellbeing of people and oceans, while merging marine and dermal sciences to create clean, inclusive and sustainable sun care.
From a formulation philosophy point of view, that is a different brief from the traditional sunscreen conversation. It is not simply, “How do we make an SPF claim?” It is, “How do we create protective sun care that performs beautifully on skin while being developed with greater awareness of environmental impact?”. People4ocean promote its sunscreens as co-formulated with marine biologists and dermal scientists to exclude a known set of ingredients identified as marine contaminants.
Why People4ocean uses “ocean-conscious” and not "reef-safe"
At People4ocean & LaGaia UNEDITED, we believe language matters. “Reef-safe” should not be an empty marketing phrase like we see today, used to 'blue-wash' consumer thinking to believe that a product has been reef certified as 'safe' having undergone regulated testing. Which, to this date there is no regulating body who is approving/providing this service. We aspire to be "ocean-conscious", meaning we, as a company and brand are thinking beyond the surface: about ingredient selection via known research, ecological impact, formulation design, manufacturing choices and the kind of future it is participating in.
People4Ocean presents this philosophy as an extension of our mission, positioning our sun care at the intersection of skin protection and marine responsibility. That aligns naturally with LaGaia UNEDITED’s broader belief that beauty and health are inseparable, and that true care is never superficial.
The language we choose matters because consumers are more discerning than ever, and rightly so. They are not only asking, “Will this work?” They are also asking, “What does this support?” That is a far more evolved question.
The real role of clinics, educators and professionals
As professionals, our role is not merely to recommend a product. It is to improve understanding and by extension, skin-literacy. To make science feel less intimidating. To help people make better decisions from a place of calm, not confusion.
That means teaching clients that sunscreen is not just about holidays, not just about summer, and not just about avoiding a burn. It is about supporting the skin every day, especially when we are also asking it to heal, regenerate, stay even-toned, recover after treatment, and age with strength and grace.
"In this sense, sunscreen is not a trend product. It is a daily act of respect for the skin."
And perhaps that is the real shift we need now: less fixation on the sexiness of a number, and more attention to the integrity of the full protection story. Because when we protect the skin well, we are not only preventing damage. We are protecting confidence, resilience, longevity and the very things that make us feel powerful.
At LaGaia UNEDITED, that is what unedited beauty has always meant.
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