Q. How is UV Natural different to the other sunscreens out there?

UV natural is different to any other sunscreen out there for many reasons.

1. It is the only high performance sunscreen out there that is safe to apply to a baby's skin under the age of 6 months. This is revolutionary in sunscreen and shows you how gentle our formula is.
2. UV natural has a shelf life of three years, that makes it the most stable sunscreen available today.
3. Our performance in and out of the water is unmatched by any "natural" sunscreen.
4. UV natural wont sting or burn your eyes.
5. It is fragrance free, non allergenic and wont clog the pores of your skin.

Q. Many other sunscreens use the term "natural" yet still have undesirable chemicals. How can this be?

It is true, the term "natural" is often misued and there are sunscreens out there using this description whilst including ingredients like titanium, parabens and petroleum based derivatives. UV Natural stays well away from these ingredients as current research links these and other sunscreen chemicals to cancer formation, tissue damage, DNA damage, free radical production, allergies, chemical sensitivities etc.

Q. My sunscreen has Titanium Dioxide in it and yet the label says "natural". What is wrong with Titanium?

Titanium Dioxide is a photoactivator that can react with other sunscreen chemicals and potentiate their free radical production or their cancer forming abilities. Recent studies have shown that Titanium damages the DNA of the cell and it has been listed as a potential carcinogen. It is far from being "safe".

Q. I have been told that an SPF of more than 15 doesn't really give you any more protection? Is this true?

An SPF 15 blocks approximately 93-95% (figures vary but this is a close range) of UV rays whilst an SPF 30+ blocks approximately 96-98% of UV rays. The difference is marginal but where the two differ is in the length of time you are protected. Generally an SPF 15 will offer protection of about 2 hours depending upon skin type - much less if you tend to burn easily. An SPF 30+ will off protection for up to 4 hours, again depending upon skin type.

So, as you can see, even though the protection difference from UV rays is only 3-5%, it is the length of time you are protected for that is important. Multiply the small % difference over a few extra hours each day and the differenec becomes significant.

Be smart - give your skin the best protection for the longest time.

Q. UV Natural has an SPF rating of 30+, should I use a stronger one like an SPF 45 or SPF 60?

The protective level of a sunscreen plateaus around SPF 30-32, anything more than that is merely misleading by the use of higher SPF numbers. In fact you would be lucky if an SPF 60 or higher gave you more than an extra mintue or two in the sun. What you do get however, is an increase in the amount of toxic chemicals you apply to your skin. Companies like to show their consumers that they have an SPF of 60 or 100 etc and yet these do not offer any more protection than an SPF 30+. It would be nice to think that an SPF 100 would offer 3.5 times more protection than SPF 30 but it is truly not the case. The FDA is bringing into force a 'reality check' on these sorts of unfounded claims via their Final Monograph on Sunscreens, where they specify that the highest rating permissible will be SPF 30+. Whilst this Final Monograph has not been introduced into legislation as yet, we will continue to abide by their suggestions and maintain the integrity of our product. UV natural's range of SPF 30+ actually performs and tests at an SPF 45, yet we do not wish to join the misleading advertising and therefore only label our product at SPF 30+.

Q. UV Natural claims a shelf life of 3 years yet the current label only shows 2 years ? Why is that?

UV Natural has demonstrated under approved testing conditions that our sunscreen has a shelf life of 3 years - the highest of any sunscreen anywhere in the world. However, as 2005 was our first year in the USA, we were not permitted to make a claim "exceeding 12 months in our first year of sales". In 2006 we will be able to claim 2 years and then 3 years thereafter. So whilst our labels may only have 2 years expiry on them, we will stand behind our claim of 3 years for the stability of the contents, provided they have been stored within normal conditions.

Q. It says "non greasy" on the label but it feels a little heavy. Why is that?

There is a difference between the terms "greasy" and "oily". "Greasy" is thick and remains on the surface of the skin, whilst "oily" depicts the texture and feel. UV natural is an oil based sunscreen and will feel a little oily when you apply it, more like a moisturiser or nourishing cream. It has been designed to absorb into the skin so you wont need to use as much as you would with regular sunscreens, just make sure you apply evenly and completely. So, even though it feels a little oily when you rub it in, it will absorb in a short time and not leave a residue on the surface. A truly greasy sunscreen will stay thick and greasy on the surface of the skin. It is a common misunderstanding between the two terms.

Q. Can I use UV natural on my face?

Yes you can. Just spread it on a little thinner to begin with until you can see how quickly your skin absorbs it, then you can either reapply a little more or just apply more next time. It is safe to put on your upper and lower eyelids.

Q. I notice a shine on my skin after I rub the sunscreen in. What is that?

The 'shine' comes from the oils in the formula. These oils have been chosen to moisturize and nourish the skin so that the drying and aging effects of the sun are combated.

Q. What is the difference between the different types you have in the SPF 30+ range?

The first thing to note is that all of the sunscreens in the SPF 30+ range offer protection from the UV rays for up to 4 hours. This of course depends upon your skin type, as a person with pale skin will need to reapply sooner than someone with darker skin that tans easily. The UV Adult offers water resistance of 2 hours whilst the UV Sport offers water resistance of up to 4 hours.

Q. Some of the tubes say "Water Resistant" and some "Very Water Resistant" - what is the difference?

The FDA has two categories to describe water resistance in a sunscreen. "Water Resistant" means that the sunscreen retains its SPF rating after 40 mins in the water and "Very Water Resistant" means it will do so after 80 mins in the water. Even though our sunscreen surpasses those requirements easily, it is the official description we must use by law. The UV Adult is "Water Resistant" and the UV Sport is "Very Water Resistant".

Q. Will your sunscreen burn or sting my eyes or my children's eyes?

UV natural does not use any harmful chemicals and our ingredients are so gently you can safely apply our sunscreen to a baby's skin under the age of 6 months. If our sunscreen gets into your eyes, you will feel that something is in there but it will not sting or burn. Just wipe the sunscreen out of your eye and continue on incident free.

Q. I notice the price of the UV Natural sunscreen is higher than some of the other sunscreens out there. Why is that?

The price of a sunscreen is directly affected by the quality and type of ingredients used. We could have made our sunscreen much cheaper by using traditional cheap and nasty sunscreen ingredients like titanium, methoxycinnamate, benzophenone, homosalate, octinate, parsol etc but that would be in direct conflict with what we are all about. If we had compromised and used cheap ingredients then we would be "just another one of the hundreds of sunscreens out there" trying to get you to buy our product with fancy packaging and gimmicks.

UV Natural is all about using the finest quality ingredients without compromise. Unfortunately the age old saying is still true - "You get what you pay for".

Q. Is your sunscreen really Australian?

Q. How long can I stay in the Sun with UV Natural?

Fair Skin that burns without sunscreen in 4 mins

Apply 30+ sunscreen 15-30 minutes before sun exposure.

You have 120 minutes of time in the sun before burning begins.

Re-application recommended after 1 hour or towel drying and sweating.

Advice: Cover up after this time, wear protective clothing, seek shade. We recommend that you cease sun exposure at this time.

Fair to Medium Skin that burns without sunscreen in 6 mins

Apply 30+ sunscreen 15-30 minutes before sun exposure.

You have 180 minutes of time in the sun before burning begins.

Re-application recommended after 2 hours or towel drying and sweating, this boosts the effectiveness of the sunscreen for the remaining hour.

Advice: Cover up after this time, wear protective clothing, seek shade.

Medium to Dark Skin that burns without sunscreen in 10 mins

Apply 30+ sunscreen 15-30 minutes before sun exposure.

You have 300 minutes of time in the sun before burning begins.

Re-application recommended after 2 hours or towel drying and sweating, this boosts the effectiveness of the sunscreen for the remaining 3 hours.

Advice: Cover up after this time, wear protective clothing, seek shade.

* Halve these equations when using SPF 15 and multiply the minutes you think it will take your skin to burn un-protected by the SPF you choose to use.

In short, if your sunscreen has protective qualities to give you 120 mins in the sun, re-applying does NOT mean it will double to 240mins.

Q. Nano Particles - Is there something I should know?