Why our sunscreen doesn't feature the 5-star rating symbol?

We are often asked why our sunscreen doesn't show the UV 5-star rating symbol on the packaging.  

This initiative was first introduced in the 1990s by a major retailer and was subsequently adopted by the EU/UK as a benchmark for measuring protection against UVA.  Ranging from 0 to 5, this rating indicates the percentage of UVA radiation that's absorbed by that particular sun protection, compared to UVB and it's a European marking.

As our suncare range is developed and manufactured in South Africa, we use the PA plus method to measure UVA.  This rating system is the same as the 5-star rating but is commonly used on products manufactured in Australia, Japan, South Africa and the USA. The PA mark shows the Protection Grade of UVA within a formula and ranges from 0-4.

The most important symbol to look for on any sunscreen is the UV symbol.  Sun protection with the UVA/UVB symbol indicates a broad-spectrum sunscreen that has passed stringent testing and conforms to strict industry standards.  These are ever-evolving and our manufacturer is a world-class pharmaceutical organisation with a robust and up-to-date quality control department that is constantly looking at market regulations.

Our products are certified as PA++++  and 4 plus signs denotes the highest UVA protection that is currently available within the suncare industry.

In order to bring our products to the UK market, we submit details of our formula and its SPF efficacy to the the OPSS (Office for Product Safety and Standards) and the OPSS issue us with a Cosmetic Product Safety Report, which confirms that our sun protection "does what it says on the tin"!

We are confident that all our sunscreens provide excellent, long-lasting and very water-resistant protection and, when applied correctly, will prevent sunburn.

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