Oxybenzone, a Chemical Used in Sunscreen, Was Detected in 96% of Children Tested. Higher Levels Were Linked to Early Puberty

NEWS FROM THE COUNCIL · 17 Oct 2026

EcoZinc shares this story from the Australian Sunscreen Council on oxybenzone and early puberty.

“Researchers in Wuhan, China, tested the urine of 596 children. Australia still uses oxybenzone in sunscreen. The Australian Sunscreen Council is calling on Australia's medicines regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), to ban oxybenzone in sunscreen, citing the TGA's own finding that oxybenzone "is not deemed to present a low risk to human health and safety".”

“A new study from Wuhan Children's Hospital in China has looked at oxybenzone, a chemical used in sunscreen, and early puberty. The researchers compared 298 children aged 6 to 12 with precocious, or early, puberty with 298 healthy children of the same age and sex. That is 596 children in all. The study was published online on 3 June 2026 in the journal Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. …”
— Australian Sunscreen Council

Read the full story at the Australian Sunscreen Council →