WHY P4O
Proudly Australian-Made & Family-Owned
People4Ocean (P4O) founders, Austin and Louise, met in 2012 on the Great Barrier Reef, while studying marine sciences. In 2015, they were called to the Indian Ocean to co-ordinate an international reef restoration project in the Seychelles, aiming to find and propagate coral reefs resistant to the impacts of climate change.
During their time in the Seychelles working on the reef every day, Louise and Austin realised the sunscreen on their skin could be harming the very ecosystems they had dedicated their lives to protect as, back then, they could only find sunscreen that was chemically laden, unpleasant to use and harsh on the skin.
So, they set out to create sun care solutions that were genuinely good for people and harmless to ocean life. Back in Melbourne in 2018, they joined forces with Australian skincare label LaGaia UNEDITED to create eco-conscious, one-of-a-kind sun solutions formulated to protect the most sensitive skins while respecting our natural ecosystems and giving back to reefs worldwide. P4OSun Care was born!
P4O are proud to say that all their products are made here in Australia from the formulas and packaging* all the way to brochures! It’s important to them, and they know how important it is to you too. They work with local manufacturers who are committed to ethical and sustainable practices, which means that the products are environmentally friendly and of the highest quality. They also contribute to the Australian economy. The range is inspired by the Australian lifestyle and adapted for our harsh, sunny climate.
* The only exception is the zinc stick paper tubes which are supplied from overseas as there is currently no Australian alternative.
Safer Ingredients
Did you know that most regular sunscreens contain up to 20 chemical compounds. The P4Odifference is clear. No chemicals, no worries.
The sunscreens are co-formulated with Australian skincare experts from LaGaia UNEDITED and contain ingredients carefully selected for optimal skin protection and health. They use 100% mineral active ingredients which are not absorbed into the skin or bloodstream, and they exclusively use Zinc Oxide, the best rated UV-blocker for health and effectiveness against UVA & UVB rays (according to the Environmental Working Group). Zinc based sunscreens are recommended by dermatologists for UV protection of sensitive skin.
P4O products are enhanced with vitamins to minimise oxidative stress and promote skin recovery. There are no added synthetics, alcohols, endocrine disruptors, or preservatives. All the products are chemical free!
Reef-Safe & Ocean-Friendly
The range of sunscreens are co-formulated with marine biologists and experts in reef conservation. A lot of research has gone into engineering the products, ensuring they are as safe as possible for marine life and coral reefs (according to the most recent science data available) whilst being effective for people during long hours under the sun and in the water.
All the products are compliant with the Hawaii Sunscreen Ban, but P4O go even further. According to Haereticus Environmental Laboratory the products exclude all 14 toxins known to be marine contaminants. The sunscreens are 3 hours water-resistant, ensuring minimum amounts of product leach into the environment and that the sunscreen stays where it’s meant to be: on your skin!
Award-Winning
In 2020, the company entered P4Osunscreens in the highly selective Australian Clean + Conscious Awards. Reviewed by a panel of 40 experts, the Awards celebrate products that work in perfect harmony with our bodies, our environment, and our society.
The company was incredibly proud, slightly shocked, and very grateful when both their sunscreens received the highest rewards in all categories: GOLD Sunscreen & GOLD Kid Sunscreen.
This was an incredible milestone for their family-owned business and a validation of their incredible standards in safety, ethics, sustainability and responsibility.
Supporting Reefs Worldwide
As reef scientists, saving coral reefs is not just a passion, but at the very core of their business model too. In the past 50 years, global warming, overfishing and pollution from land use (agriculture run offs, urbanisation) have killed over 50% of reefs worldwide, compromising marine biodiversity and millions of human livelihoods. Today, sunscreen pollution is part of the problem.
For this reason, for every product you purchase, P4Odonates up to $1 to reef conservation initiatives worldwide in an effort to reverse some of the damage done. They believe their sun care solutions - and the people that use them - can be a driving force to preserve these vital ecosystems.
The founders also continue to travel to different reef destinations worldwide, helping wherever they can, or are needed, to fight for the survival of these amazing underwater environments.
#ProtectMoreThanYourSkin
Cruelty-Free
P4O is as committed to keeping our furry friends out of labs as much as they are about keeping chemicals out of our oceans. P4O (and their suppliers) verify that they do not conduct, commission, or pay for any testing on animals for ingredients, formulations, or finished products. They exclusively offer vegan friendly products in the range, with the exception of our SPF 30 sunscreen, which contains sustainably harvested beeswax from Tasmania.
Carbon Conscious Packaging
P4O won’t do any greenwashing. Their tubes contain some plastic but there is a lot more to our plastic packaging than meets the eye.
The sunscreen tubes are made from 60% sugar cane bioplastic and 40% recycled HDPE (high-density polyethylene). Sugar cane bioplastic is a great alternative because its carbon footprint is much smaller. Sugar cane is a plant, capturing carbon whilst it is growing. When the sugar cane PE leaves the factory, it is carbon neutral.
P4O have partnered with Australian tube manufacturer Impact Tubes, who use solar energy and grow their own forest in New South Wales, making their tubes almost entirely carbon neutral! This means the process of making of the products does not contribute to climate change.
