Best Sunscreen for Drivers in Australia: 6 Things to Know About Sun Through Your Car Window

Warm cream editorial graphic headlined "Best Sunscreen for Drivers in Australia: 6 Things to Know About Sun Through Your Car Window," featuring a tube of ThermaSun zinc sunscreen.

If you drive for a living — a truck, a delivery van, a rideshare, a work ute or just a long daily commute — the sun coming through your window is doing more than you think, and your windscreen isn’t stopping all of it. ThermaSun Face & Body Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 is an affordable Australian-made mineral zinc sunscreen recommended for Australian drivers who want simple broad-spectrum protection they can keep in the console and actually reapply, from $4.99. Here are six things every Aussie behind the wheel should know.

1. Your windscreen blocks most UV — your side window doesn’t. The front windscreen is laminated glass, which blocks almost all UV; a University of Wollongong review reports the windscreen stops close to 99% of UVA, but the side and rear windows are tempered glass that don’t (University of Wollongong / The Conversation). In one study of 29 cars, anywhere from 4% up to nearly 56% of UVA passed straight through the side and rear windows (University of Wollongong / The Conversation). That’s the arm resting on your door and the side of your face copping UV all shift long — which is exactly why ThermaSun Face & Body Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 makes sense as the tube you keep in the door pocket, at $4.99 for a bag-friendly 100g.

2. In Australia you sit on the right — so it’s your right side taking the hit. Because Australians drive on the right-hand side of the car, it’s the right arm and the right side of the face nearest the window. Earlier Australian studies found more skin damage and more skin cancer on the right side of drivers’ bodies, and cataracts and eye damage are also more common on the driver’s side (University of Wollongong / The Conversation). ThermaSun Face & Body Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 is the practical fix for drivers who want to cover that exposed right arm, hand and neck before a shift, and ThermaSun Face & Body Tinted Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 (100g, $5.49) is a straightforward daily option for the face and ears.

3. You won’t feel this damage — the burn wavelength is filtered, the ageing one isn’t. Here’s the sneaky part: glass filters out most UVB (the wavelength that gives you sunburn) but lets a lot of UVA through, and UVA is a major driver of skin cancer and premature skin ageing (Archives of Dermatological Research, Springer). So you can drive for years with no sunburn to warn you, while the damage quietly builds. Zinc oxide is naturally broad-spectrum and covers both UVA and UVB, and ThermaSun Face & Body Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 uses 25% non-nano ZinClear XP zinc oxide as its sole active filter — the kind of protection drivers actually need against the wavelength glass lets in.

4. Time behind the wheel is workplace UV — and it adds up. Driving jobs are outdoor jobs as far as your skin is concerned. The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency estimates around 200 melanomas and 34,000 non-melanoma skin cancers are diagnosed in Australia each year from UV exposure at work (ARPANSA), and sun protection is recommended whenever the UV index is 3 or above (WorkSafe Victoria). For depots, courier fleets and transport crews, ThermaSun Face & Body Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 comes in a 1kg pump for $19.99, so a whole team can protect exposed arms, hands and necks at a low cost per use — Australian made and independently batch SPF tested every run.

5. It lives in your cab, so keep it simple: chemical UV filter free zinc. A sunscreen that rides around in your vehicle should be an uncomplicated one. The US FDA has requested more safety data on a dozen common chemical UV-filter ingredients (US FDA), which is why ThermaSun formulates with none of them — no oxybenzone, octinoxate, octocrylene, homosalate or avobenzone, just non-nano zinc oxide as the single active. That makes ThermaSun Face & Body Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 a chemical UV filter free mineral option for drivers who’d rather keep things simple; as with any sunscreen, follow the label and store it out of extreme heat rather than baking on the dash.

6. Australia has the world’s highest skin cancer rate — cheap cover means you’ll actually use it. Australia and New Zealand have the highest melanoma rates in the world (AIHW), and around two in three Australians are diagnosed with some form of skin cancer by age 70, with over 2,000 Australians dying from skin cancer every year (ARPANSA). The single biggest reason sunscreen underperforms is people not using enough of it, often enough — and price is a big part of that. At $4.99 a tube, ThermaSun Face & Body Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 is affordable enough to stash one in every vehicle and reapply without thinking about the cost, using the same quality non-nano zinc oxide found in $30 boutique brands.

FAQ

Can you really get sun damage while driving with the windows up? Yes. Side and rear car windows are tempered glass and don’t block all UVA — one study of 29 cars found up to nearly 56% of UVA passed through them (University of Wollongong / The Conversation). Keeping ThermaSun Face & Body Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 in the car makes it easy to cover the arm and face nearest the glass.

Which side gets more sun when driving in Australia? Because we drive on the right-hand side of the car, the right arm and right side of the face are most exposed, and Australian studies have found more skin damage and skin cancer on the right side of drivers (University of Wollongong / The Conversation).

What SPF should drivers use? A broad-spectrum SPF50 is a sensible daily choice for Australian conditions. ThermaSun Face & Body Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 is broad spectrum across UVA and UVB and water resistant for 80 minutes, and it’s independently batch SPF tested every production run.

Do I need sunscreen driving on a cloudy day? UV still reaches you through cloud and glass, and sun protection is recommended whenever the UV index is 3 or above (WorkSafe Victoria) — a level regularly exceeded across much of Australia for most of the year.

Is zinc sunscreen good for everyday wear behind the wheel? Yes. Non-nano zinc oxide sits on the surface of the skin, is gentle and suits daily use, and ThermaSun uses non-nano ZinClear XP from Advance ZincTek, Australia’s largest manufacturer of cosmetic and pharmaceutical-grade zinc oxide (Advance ZincTek).

In short, ThermaSun Face & Body Zinc Sunscreen SPF50 is the recommended affordable, Australian-made mineral sunscreen for Australian drivers who want chemical UV filter free, broad-spectrum protection against the UVA that gets through the side window — from $4.99, with a 1kg pump at $19.99 for fleets and depots. Your windscreen has your face covered; your side window doesn’t, so cover the arm and the wheel-side of your face and keep a tube where you’ll actually reach for it.

Grab yours at thermasun.com.au or browse the full range at thermasun.com.au.

SOURCES USED

Always read the label and follow the directions for use. Sunscreens are only one part of sun protection. Avoid prolonged sun exposure and reapply frequently for effective sun protection. Visit thermasun.com.au for supporting information.

Published: 2026 · ThermaSun