Here's what to look for before you place that order.
What SPF rating should you be buying?
For any bulk sunscreen order in Australia, SPF 50+ is the standard worth sticking to. It's what most workplaces require under their sun safety policies, it's what schools expect, and it's what customers reach for on a pharmacy shelf.
SPF 50+ blocks around 98% of UVB rays. Lower ratings still offer protection, but when you're buying for a workforce or a retail range, SPF 50+ removes the guesswork. One rating, one order, no second-guessing.
If you're purchasing for an outdoor crew — construction, landscaping, events — SPF 50+ with broad spectrum protection (which covers UVA as well as UVB) is non-negotiable. It's what Safe Work Australia guidelines point to, and it's what your people need when they're out in it from seven till three.
TGA compliance: the thing you can't afford to skip
Every sunscreen sold in Australia is classified as a therapeutic good. That means it's regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), and it must be listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) before it can legally be sold or supplied.
This matters more than most buyers realise — especially if you're importing or sourcing from overseas. A sunscreen might look the part, but if it's not ARTG-listed, it hasn't been assessed against Australian standards. That's a compliance risk you don't want sitting in your warehouse or on your worksite.
When you buy sunscreen in bulk, check for the AUST L number on the label. It's a small detail that tells you the product has met the regulatory bar. All Maxiblock products carry this listing, because we've been formulating to Australian standards since the 1970s. Being chemist-operated means we understand why the requirements exist, not just how to tick the box.
Shelf life: how long will your bulk order last?
Sunscreen doesn't last forever, and when you're ordering in volume, shelf life matters.
Most Australian sunscreens, including Maxiblock, have a shelf life of around three years from the date of manufacture when stored correctly. That gives you a reasonable window to distribute stock, rotate through inventory, or use it across a work season.
A few practical things to keep in mind when ordering sun cream in bulk:
- Check the expiry or manufacture date on arrival. You want to know how much runway you have, especially if you're ordering for a full year.
- Match your order size to your usage rate. It sounds obvious, but over-ordering is the most common shelf life problem. A pallet of sunscreen is only a good deal if you'll use it before it expires.
- First in, first out. If you're restocking a safety cabinet or retail shelf, rotate older stock to the front. Simple, but effective.
How to store sunscreen properly (especially in bulk)
This is where a lot of bulk orders quietly go wrong. Sunscreen is a formulated product — heat, direct sunlight, and temperature swings can degrade the active ingredients over time.
If you're storing sunscreen in bulk, keep it somewhere cool, dry, and out of direct sun. A climate-controlled storeroom is ideal. A shipping container baking in a Western Australian carpark is not.
Specifically:
- Aim for storage below 30°C. Consistent, moderate temperatures keep the formula stable.
- Avoid sheds, vehicles, and unlined warehouses where temperatures spike in summer. If your storage area gets hot enough to make you uncomfortable, it's too hot for sunscreen.
- Keep boxes sealed until needed. UV light and airflow won't do your stock any favours.
For retailers, the same logic applies on the shop floor. Sunscreen displayed next to a sunny window will degrade faster than stock kept behind the counter or on a shaded shelf.
A note for workplaces and outdoor organisations
If you're buying sunscreen in bulk for a workforce, school, or event, there are a couple of extra things worth considering.
Format matters. Pump bottles and bulk dispensers work well for fixed sites — lunch rooms, sign-in areas, pool gates. Tubes or roll-ons suit workers who need to carry protection with them. Think about where and how people will actually use it, not just what's cheapest per litre.
Water resistance counts. If your crew sweats through a shift or your event runs poolside, four-hour water resistance means fewer reapplications and better real-world protection.
Make it easy, or it won't get used. The biggest barrier to sun safety compliance isn't the sunscreen itself — it's access. Put it where people already are: at the toolbox, by the door, next to the sign-in sheet. Sunscreen that stays in a locked cupboard doesn't protect anyone.
Why Maxiblock for bulk orders?
We've been making sunscreen in Australia since the 1970s. We're family-owned, chemist-operated, and we still do what we set out to do: make reliable sunscreen, sell it at a fair price, and keep people protected.
Our bulk and wholesale range covers SPF 50+ options across lotions, dry-touch formulas, and sensitive skin variants — so whether you're outfitting a construction crew or stocking a pharmacy chain, there's a format that fits.