Getting your label wrong in Australia is not just a design issue. It affects:

• Whether you’re legally compliant
• How retailers view your brand
• How much consumers trust what you say

Here’s a competitor-style, regulation-aware article you can drop straight into a blog or resources section.

Best Practices for Product Labelling in the Australian Skincare Market

Getting your label wrong in Australia is not just a design issue. It affects:

• whether you’re legally compliant
• how retailers view your brand
• how much consumers trust what you say

Competitors that rank well for Australian cosmetic compliance terms and win retail listings all do the same few things right: they understand the regulatory baseline, avoid greenwashing, and use clear, consumer-first language on pack.

This guide walks through best practices for skincare labelling in Australia, blending the legal must-haves with what top brands do to stand out.

1. Know the Regulatory Landscape First

Before you design or print anything, you need to understand who regulates what.

Key players:

• ACCC / Australian Consumer Law (ACL) – governs fair trading, misleading or deceptive claims, and green claims.
• Consumer Goods (Cosmetics) Information Standard 2020 – sets mandatory rules for cosmetic ingredient labelling.
• AICIS (Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme) – regulates the chemicals you use; ingredients must be on the AIIC or introduced under an exemption.
• TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) – regulates “therapeutic” products like most sunscreens, prescription-grade acne products or anything making therapeutic claims.

Your very first job is to decide: is my product a cosmetic or a therapeutic good?

• Cosmetic: cleans, perfumes, protects, maintains or alters the appearance of skin without a therapeutic purpose.
• Therapeutic: claims to treat or prevent disease, modify physiological processes, or provide primary sun protection (many SPF products).

If you get this wrong and label a therapeutic product as a simple cosmetic, you risk serious compliance issues, recalls and reputational damage (as recent sunscreen investigations have shown)

2. Core Legal Requirements for Skincare Labels

Under the Cosmetics Information Standard, every cosmetic skincare product sold in Australia must include a clear ingredients list and basic identification information.

2.1 Ingredient list format

Best practice (and often required):

• Use INCI names or English names for ingredients.
• List ingredients in descending order by weight at time of manufacture, at least down to 1%.
• Ingredients at less than 1% can be in any order at the end of the list.
• Fragrance and flavour components can be grouped as “Parfum” or “Fragrance” without disclosing the full mix, but many modern brands also note “naturally derived” or key aroma ingredients for transparency.

Ingredient information must be clearly legible and available at the point of sale, whether on the container, outer box, or a leaflet attached to the product.

2.2 Mandatory identification details

Your label should clearly show:

• Product name and intended function (e.g. “Hydrating Face Moisturiser”).
• Net contents (mL or g).
• Name and Australian or New Zealand contact address of the responsible business
• Batch number or lot code for traceability.
• Best-before or expiry date if relevant to product stability.

These points flow from general labelling expectations under the ACL and cosmetics information rules, and they’re standard practice among compliant brands.

3. INCI, AICIS and Ingredient Compliance

Beyond labelling, you must ensure you’re allowed to use each ingredient in Australia.

• All cosmetic ingredients must be listed on the Australian Inventory of Industrial Chemicals (AIIC) or introduced under a permitted pathway (exemption, low-risk, etc.).
• New or higher-risk ingredients may require pre-market assessment.

Labelling best practice here:

• Use the correct INCI name so consumers, regulators and health professionals can accurately identify ingredients. The ACCC has previously raised concerns where made-up names were used instead of INCI or English names.
• Avoid renaming ingredients purely for marketing if it obscures what they actually are (e.g. calling a standard preservative a “botanical extract”).

4. Cosmetic vs Therapeutic Skincare: Special Case for SPF

If your skincare:

• has SPF as the primary function, or
• makes strong UV protection claims

it may be classified as a therapeutic sunscreen and must meet TGA’s sunscreen regulations, including strict testing and labelling (AUST L / AUST R number on pack, specific SPF / broad-spectrum statements).

“Cosmetic sunscreens” (e.g. a tinted moisturiser with low SPF where the primary purpose is cosmetic) sit under different rules, but you must be careful not to mislead consumers into thinking they provide the same level of validated protection as TGA-registered sunscreens. Recent recalls and investigations around SPF mislabelling show how closely this area is watched.

Best practice: if in doubt, get regulatory advice and ensure your on-pack wording clearly reflects the product’s true function and testing.

5. Green Claims, “Clean Beauty” and the ACCC

Sustainability and “clean” messaging are everywhere in skincare – and they’re now a major enforcement focus.

The ACCC’s latest guidance on environmental and sustainability claims sets out eight principles for trustworthy green claims: be truthful, precise, substantiated, and avoid broad or absolute statements that overstate benefits.

Recent cases (like substantial penalties for misleading recycled-plastic claims) show that vague or exaggerated eco claims are a real risk.

Labelling best practices for green and “clean” claims

• Avoid blanket terms like “eco-friendly”, “100% green”, “non-toxic”, or “chemical-free” unless you can define and prove them.
• Be specific: “Bottle made from 97% post-consumer recycled plastic” beats “sustainable packaging”.
• Don’t imply third-party certification if you don’t actually have it (colours, icons and seals can mislead).
• Explain why your product is lower impact (refill system, compostable carton, no secondary packaging, etc.) in supporting text or on a QR-linked page.

If you can’t back a claim with clear evidence at the time you make it, it doesn’t belong on your label.

6. Design Best Practices from High-Performing Brands

When you look at the labels of top Australian skincare brands and regulatory-compliance guides, a few design patterns stand out:

6.1 Clear hierarchy on the front of the pack

Front labels usually follow a simple hierarchy:

1. Brand name
2. Product type + key benefit
3. One or two star ingredients (not the full INCI)
4. Skin type or concern (e.g. “For dry, sensitive skin”)

This makes the product easy to understand in seconds, both on-shelf and online.

6.2 Legibility and accessibility

• Use sufficient font size and contrast, especially for directions and warnings.
• Avoid cramming every claim on the front – keep it clean and move details to the back or a leaflet.
• Use bullet points and icons to support, not replace, clear wording.

6.3 Directions, warnings and usage guidance

Best practice for skincare labels includes:

• Plain-language usage instructions (“Apply to clean, dry skin morning and night”).
• Any mandatory warnings related to specific ingredients (e.g. AHAs and sun sensitivity).
• Patch test advice where irritation risk is higher.
• Keep warning text near the directions, not hidden under a barcode.

For products with actives (acids, retinoids, potent botanicals), top brands often add a small “How to introduce” note to reduce misuse and complaints.

7. Handling Allergens and Sensitivities

While Australia doesn’t use the EU’s exact allergen list, good practice (and increasingly expected by consumers) is to:

• Clearly label potential food allergens (e.g. nut oils, soy, wheat-derived ingredients).
• Use a consistent fragrance descriptor (“Fragrance (Parfum)”) and support with a detailed ingredient glossary online.

This is particularly important for:

• Products marketed as suitable for sensitive skin
• Baby and children’s skincare
• Facial products used around the eyes or mucous membranes

Transparent allergen labelling reduces risk and builds trust.

8. Align On-Pack, Online and Marketing Messages

The ACL doesn’t just apply to what’s printed on the bottle – your website, social captions, ads and influencer content all sit under the same truth-in-advertising rules.

Best practices:

• Ensure your product page matches your label for ingredients, claims and directions.
• Don’t let marketing copy drift into therapeutic claims if your product is only approved as a cosmetic.
• Brief influencers clearly on compliant wording; you’re responsible for the representations they make on your behalf.

Consistency across channels is both a legal and brand-building advantage.

9. Using QR Codes and Digital Extensions

As labels get crowded, many brands now:

• Put essential information and ingredients on the pack as required.
• Add a QR code that links to:
  • a full ingredient glossary
  • sustainability and recycling instructions
  • FAQs and usage tips

This approach keeps the label clean while still delivering the depth consumers (and regulators) expect.

10. Practical Checklist: A Compliant, Competitive Skincare Label in Australia

Before you send anything to print, run through this checklist:

1. Regulatory fit
   • Have you correctly classified the product as cosmetic or therapeutic?
2. Core information
   • Product name, function, net contents, business name and address, batch and (if relevant) expiry are clearly shown.
3. Ingredients
   • All ingredients listed in descending order by weight (above 1%).
   • INCI or English names used correctly.
   • Every ingredient appears on the AIIC or is introduced under a valid AICIS pathway.
4. Claims
   • No misleading or exaggerated performance or environmental claims.
   • All green or sustainability statements are specific and evidence-backed.
5. SPF and therapeutic claims
   • Any sunscreen or therapeutic-style claims are checked against TGA rules or removed if the product is cosmetic-only.
6. Design and readability
   • Font sizes are legible.
   • Directions and warnings are clear and easy to find.
7. Alignment
   • On-pack info matches website, retailer copy and marketing campaigns.

If you align with this checklist, you’re not only far closer to compliance, you’re also mirroring what high-performing Australian skincare brands do on shelf and online.

If you’d like, next step I can:

• Turn this into a downloadable checklist PDF for brand owners, or
• Write label-ready copy (front, back, INCI list, usage and warning text) for specific products in your range.

Here’s a competitor-style, regulation-aware article you can drop straight into a blog or resources section.