About Sunumbra and Sue Ingram

Hello, I'm Sue Ingram and I've lived most of my life in Africa. I have a love of being outdoors and embracing the wonderful sunshine.

And Africa gets a lot of sunshine!

My dual interests in health and the environment led me to research the benefits of natural and organic products and because of my love of the outdoors I decided to focus on sun protection. This was further motivated through the tragic loss of family members to Melanoma cancer.

What I discovered about the contents of many of the sunscreens being sold was astounding. It never ceases to amaze me just how much toxic rubbish there is out there that we slather our skins with.

Sunumbra creation

Since inception in 2009, we have worked with independent laboratories, biochemists, ethnobotanists, photo biologists, and several technical and field researchers, as well as being guided by the health institutions such as FDA in the USA, COLIPA in Europe and TGA in Australia.

We were also guided from the very early stages, by The Environmental Working Group (EWG). Their work exposing toxic ingredients contained in cosmetics led to an annual Sunscreen report where they exposed both positive and negative attributes of sunscreens being marketed globally.

The following statement encapsulates the principles that have guided our research…

"To produce a sunscreen that provides...

• high level protection against both UVA and UVB light
• added antioxidant protection against free radical damage and atmospheric toxins
• active natural nutrients to help reverse any skin damage and boost our natural resources to resist further damage
• that every ingredient provides a clear and direct benefit and is not merely a 'filler' or included to 'look good' in the ingredients list"

Sue after a day in the sun, Inhambane, Mozambique

The added antioxidants and natural nutrients have an additional appeal to me.....

The cutaneous antioxidant system is complex, interlinked and operates as a network. Because of this, an enhanced photo protective effect can be obtained by applying appropriate combinations of antioxidants. These combinations act synergistically.

A prime focus of our research has been to find natural ingredients that are also effective as protectors.....

The discovery of a unique combination of plant extracts is our key 'hidden secret' to being able to substitute harmful chemical filters found in many sunscreens sold today. 

All our sunumbra® sunscreens are manufactured under contract by an Eco-certified laboratory based in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.

Much of the research and development of the products has been done through our base in Cape Town, South Africa, under the guidance of the international standards (ISO) for sunscreen manufacture, which includes the USA (FDA), Europe (COLIPA) and Australia (TGA).

Indie Beauty Brand

The following are the essential attributes of the concept of Indie Beauty brands and are reflected in everything that I have aspired towards:

1. Fully owned and operated by myself - embracing my values and beliefs
2. Independently funded by myself as the founder
3. My passion, purpose and true authenticity behind the products is a central driving factor
4. Doing something ‘unconventional’ appealed enormously in providing a clean non-toxic sunscreen brand, primarily through the internet
5. A uniqueness that appeals to the health aware individual and not the general masses 
6. Beyond corporate - Not one of the big guys with several other beauty brands, we are relatively small and niche

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