Our Story

In 2007, Hanlie and André Burger identified a gap in South African skincare that no one else was addressing: quality products made specifically for children in that overlooked "in-between" age, no longer babies, not yet teens.

Hanlie, then ten years into a career as a medical social worker, had retrained in beauty therapy and opened a salon. It was there, working closely with clients, that she first noticed the gap. André, an engineer with a sharp, forward-thinking mind, saw it too. Together, they approached Professor Aubrey Parsons to help develop a specialised children's range. SKIN KIDZ was born, with its founding promise: "You're never too young to care for your skin!"

It mattered deeply to Hanlie and André that sunscreen be part of that range, and that it travel with the family. Their daughters, Thalita and Chyara, were both blonde and fair-skinned, and needed their own bottle close at hand. So they designed a mobile "mother and child" sunscreen bottle, packaging that went on to win international and national awards, and quickly became the range's signature.

The response from parents made one thing clear: this wasn't just a children's problem.

"Anyone under the sun must wear sunscreen, and that is everyone!"

That belief became SUNSKIN Original, a broader, more accessible sunscreen range, formulated and developed by André, who by then had completed his qualification in Cosmetic Chemistry. From the very beginning, one thing was non-negotiable: only high-quality ingredients, formulated to meet EU-approved filter standards and CTFA compliance, never cutting corners to save on cost.

In 2012, the family opened their first manufacturing facility, and SUNSKIN began supplying selected dermatologist beauty salons and aesthetic doctors across South Africa.

André became a founding member of CECOSA, the Cosmetic Export Council of South Africa, and served on the national sunscreen committee, staying close to the science as the industry evolved. That commitment to staying ahead shaped SUNSKIN's next chapter: UV-DERM SPF50, a total spectrum sunscreen built to protect against UVA, UVB, HEV (blue light), and infrared, years before most of the industry was talking about anything beyond UVA and UVB.

In 2018, SKIN KIDZ was reformulated with vibrant new packaging, and SUN Collagen Gold joined the range, designed to work in synergy with UV-DERM's protection, supporting skin from within as well as on the surface.

Throughout, education stayed central to who SUNSKIN is: presentations in schools, sunscreen donations to children with albinism in South Africa and Kenya, and an open-door approach with staff, stockists, and customers alike.

In 2021, André passed away. It was an unimaginable loss for the family, and for a business built so closely around his vision. Hanlie stepped into leadership, supported by Thalita and Chyara, and by the loyal team who'd built SUNSKIN alongside them. Rather than losing momentum, the family found their footing together: Thalita followed in her father's footsteps as an engineer and qualified cosmetic chemist, now leading product development and formulation. Chyara took on marketing, shaping SUNSKIN's digital presence and social strategy. Between them, they've carried André's vision forward while making it their own.

Today, 19 years after SKIN KIDZ began, SUNSKIN has gone from strength to strength. In 2024, we expanded from our original 2012 facility into a larger manufacturing home, giving us the capacity to keep growing without ever compromising on quality. We produce over 42 products across sunscreen, skincare, Skin Kidz, self-tan, and accessories, and we stay closely tuned to both the science and the regulation shaping our industry, from emerging ingredients like Bakuchiol and neurocosmetics to the EU filter standards and CTFA compliance we've held ourselves to since day one.

The range now includes a gender-neutral skincare line: Bakuchiol serum, gentle wash, self-tan, after-sun gel, body scrub, and hand and nail care, alongside two ingestible collagen products, SUN Collagen Gold Peptides and Classic Collagen. Our Tinted Cream-Gel SPF50, available in 9 shades, soon to be 10, to suit every skin tone, has become one of our most-loved products, a reflection of a commitment to inclusivity that runs through everything we make: sun protection wasn't always designed with every skin tone in mind, and we've worked hard to change that.

Nearly two decades in, SUNSKIN has grown into one of South Africa's trusted names in sun care, recognised in industry press, stocked nationwide, and built on formulations we've never compromised on. That trust has also opened new doors: alongside our own ranges, we now partner with other brands through white-label manufacturing, bringing the same standards and expertise we hold ourselves to into products beyond the SUNSKIN name.

Our newest innovation, a neurocosmetic sunscreen, continues that same instinct that's driven SUNSKIN from the beginning, looking beyond traditional sun protection toward complete skin wellness.

"Anyone under the sun must wear sunscreen. That's still everyone." That's still us.