Sunscreen manufacturing in Thailand
Sunscreen is the one skincare product where the number on the front of the pack is a measured claim rather than a marketing decision. This page covers what we can make, and what an SPF or PA figure has to be supported by before it can go on your label.
The number on the label is not a marketing choice
If you take one thing from this page, take this one.
| Point | What it means for your project |
|---|---|
| A protection figure must be supported by testing | SPF and PA are measured values. You cannot decide you would like SPF 50 on the pack because it sells better — the figure has to come from testing of your actual finished formula. |
| Testing costs money and takes time | It is a real line in the budget and a real block in the schedule. Plan for it from the start rather than discovering it a week before you wanted to launch. |
| Changing the formula invalidates the result | Adjust the actives, and the previous test result no longer applies to what you are selling. This is why sunscreen formulas are locked earlier than other products. |
| Filters and their limits vary by market | Which UV filters are permitted, and at what concentration, differs between Thailand, the EU, the US and elsewhere. A formula that is legal in one market may be unsellable in another. |
| Other claims are regulated as well | Terms such as water resistance carry their own testing requirements. They are not adjectives you can add freely. |
Tell us the destination market and the protection level you are aiming for at the very first conversation. It shapes the formula, the budget and the timeline more than anything else on a sunscreen project.
Sun protection for face and body
- Facial sunscreen — lighter textures designed to sit under makeup without pilling or leaving a heavy finish. The hardest part of this category to get right, and the part customers judge hardest.
- Body sunscreen — larger fills, faster spreading, and a texture built for covering a lot of skin quickly.
- Daily-wear moisturisers with sun protection — where sun protection is part of a daily routine product rather than the product itself.
- Sachet formats — trial sizes for sampling and market testing. Sachet manufacturing →
What customers actually complain about
Almost never the protection figure. Nearly always the texture.
White cast
The single most common complaint, especially on deeper skin tones. It is largely driven by the filter system, so it is a formula decision made early, not something that can be fixed at the end.
Greasy or heavy finish
High protection tends toward a heavier texture. Getting a light finish at a high SPF is the genuinely difficult part of sunscreen formulation, and it is worth spending sample rounds on.
Pilling under makeup
If your customer wears the product under foundation, test it under foundation. A sunscreen that rolls up under makeup will not be repurchased regardless of how well it protects.
Stinging around the eyes
Common with some filter systems. Worth testing properly during sampling, because it drives returns and bad reviews.
How a sunscreen project runs
Longer than a standard cream, because testing sits in the middle of it.
Market and target level
Destination market and the protection figure you want. These determine which filters are available to you.
Formula and samples
Develop or adapt, then sample. Judge the texture the way your customer will use it.
Lock the formula
The formula has to be final before testing, because any change afterwards invalidates the result.
Testing
Protection testing on the finished formula. Budget both the money and the weeks.
Label and notification
Artwork carrying the tested figure, then Thai FDA notification or your market's own process.
Production
Manufacturing and QC, with a retained sample kept from the batch.
Sunscreen questions
Can you just make me an SPF 50 sunscreen?
Who arranges and pays for the testing?
How long does a sunscreen project take overall?
Can I sell the same sunscreen in several countries?
Talk through a sunscreen project
Market, target protection level and format. We will tell you what is realistic — free, no obligation.