Australian Gold Botanical Mineral SPF 30 Lotion: What Consumer Reports Measured
Last updated September 13, 2026
Consumer Reports measured SPF 4 against a label of SPF 30 in its 2026 round, the lowest figure it named on the free part of its report.
Consumer Reports tested 130 sunscreens bought off US shelves for its 2026 round and named five of them with a measured figure outside the paywall. This was the lowest: SPF 4 against a label of 30.
What was tested
Consumer Reports measured SPF 4, 27 April 2026
Consumer Reports measured SPF 4 against a label of SPF 30. In the body's own words:
Australian Gold Botanical Mineral SPF 30 Lotion's UVA protection was fair, but its SPF protection was poor, testing at an SPF 4.
Method, as Consumer Reports states it: Consumer Reports' own protocol, modelled on but not identical to the FDA monograph: a standard dose on a 2x3-inch area of the back, 40- or 80-minute water immersion where a water-resistance claim is made, then five or six UV intensities from a solar simulator read for redness about 24 hours later. Three samples of each product are bought at retail, preferably from different lots. UVA is measured in vitro by transmission through sunscreen-coated plates.
What happened next
Market status: no change has been published by any source cited here. Statuses in this story moved repeatedly between 2025 and 2026, so check the regulator before assuming a product is still on sale.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people does Consumer Reports test on?
Three. CR states that for SPF it tests the sunscreens on three people, which is fewer than the FDA's protocol calls for, but that it uses a statistical analysis to verify its results. The ISO 24444 method used in Australia and the UK requires a minimum of ten. The two kinds of figure should not be put in the same league table.
Was the product recalled?
No recall has been published by any source cited here. Consumer Reports is a testing organisation, not a regulator, and the FDA does not routinely test finished sunscreens.
Is this the same as the Australian Gold tinted mineral sunscreen?
No. Consumer Reports named the Botanical Mineral SPF 30 Lotion specifically. Australian Gold sells several mineral products and this result applies only to the one CR bought and tested, in the batch and at the date it tested.
SPF List did not test this product. The results on this page were published by the named test body or regulator; quotes and links go to the original publication. Brand responses and later developments are listed where they were published. Formulations change; a result applies to the batch and date tested.