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Choosing sunscreen for Australian conditions

Daily SPF is the single highest-impact step in any skincare routine, and nowhere is that more true than in Australia, where UV levels sit at extremes for much of the year. Sunscreen here is also better policed than most beauty categories: primary sunscreens are regulated as therapeutic goods by the TGA, so an SPF 50+ claim on an Australian label has been tested to a standard, and SPF 50+ is the highest rating a label here can carry.

That regulation means the real differences between good sunscreens are texture, finish and how willingly you will wear them every single day. In our current SPF ranking, La Roche-Posay's Anthelios UVMune 400 Invisible Fluid SPF50+ leads on a GLOW score of 9.3 at around $35, with Go-To's Zincredible SPF50+ on 8.8. The best sunscreen is ultimately the one that suits your skin well enough to become automatic. A technically superior formula left in the drawer protects nothing.

• Look for broad spectrum on the label and an AUST L number on the pack, which shows the product is listed with the TGA.
• Most people apply far less than the amount sunscreens are tested at. If a bottle of daily facial SPF lasts six months, you are under-dosing.
• Reapply every two hours outdoors. One morning application does not cover a beach day.
• Oily and breakout-prone skin does better with lightweight fluid and gel textures; we keep a separate ranking for oily skin.
• If pigmentation or melasma is the concern, protection is the foundation. No brightening product outworks unprotected sun exposure.

See the full best SPF in Australia ranking, then check how to apply SPF properly, because dose and technique decide how much protection you actually get.