‘Do Not Spray Directly on Your Face’: TGA Issues Warning on Bondi Sands Sunscreen

A helicopter with an Australian flag is seen over Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, on Jan. 26, 2021.(Jenny Evans/Getty Images)

Popular aerosol sunscreen Bondi Sands should not be sprayed directly on the face, Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has warned.

The TGA issued a product defect correction for Bondi Sands Everyday Protection Face SPF 50+ Sunscreen Mist.

“The directions for use incorrectly indicate users can spray the product directly on their face. Aerosol sunscreens should not be sprayed directly on the face,” the TGA said.

Spraying the sunscreen mist directly on the face could cause accidental inhalation, local irritation of nose, mouth, and throat and coughing and sneezing, according to the TGA.

The regulatory agency said the directions for use on the sunscreen are “not clear,” especially regarding use on the face.

“If you have purchased Bondi Sands Everyday Protection Face SPF 50+ Sunscreen Mist do not spray directly on your face,” the TGA said on Oct. 30.

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“Spray onto your hands and then apply on your face.”

Bondi Sands Everyday Protection Face SPF 50+ Sunscreen Mist (TGA)

Bondi Sands SPF 50+ Sunscreen Mist, made in Australia, provides water resistant UVA and UVB protection, according to a product description online.

The product contains a fast absorbing formula including vitamin E, and is dermatologically tested.

Bondi Sands Sunscreen Mist is available in Australia and is also sold globally in the United States. For example, it is available for sale at Chemist Warehouse in Australia currently for $9.39, $6.60 off the recommended retail price.

However, in the United States, the Walgreens website currently states “this product is no longer available on our site.”

A general view of Bondi Beach is seen in Sydney, Australia on March 20, 2020. (Jenny Evans/Getty Images)

The TGA is an Australian government agency that regulates medicines, products and therapeutics for safety, quality, and effectiveness.

The agency encouraged health professionals to report problems with “medicines or vaccines,” adding this reporting would help TGA monitor such products.

Cancer Council Advice

The Cancer Council does not recommend aerosol sunscreens, despite noting that they are effective if they are used correctly.

“While effective when used the right way, it is difficult to correctly apply aerosol sunscreen to get adequate protection. For this reason, Cancer Council does not recommend using aerosol sunscreens” the Cancer Council states.

In 2022, the Cancer Council issued a warning together with the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency advising against the use of aerosol sunscreens for sun protection.

The Cancer Council said research found that wind lessened the ability of aerosol sunscreen to provide protection against UV radiation.

The study found that winds at 10 kilometres per hour could result in a loss of 32 to 79 percent of sunscreen while 20 kilometre per hour winds could lead to 28 to 93 percent of sunscreen being lost.

Winds at these speeds are experienced the majority of the time (69 to 95 percent) at popular Australian beaches, the Cancer Council explained.

“With such a large proportion of sunscreen lost when applying it via an aerosol spray, a person would need to spray an aerosol sunscreen in some cases for up to 250 seconds per limb to achieve the SPF protection as labelled on the product,” the research noted.