What is Waxhead’s PA Rating?

You may have noticed PA++++ on sunscreen labels lately and wondered why you don't see any plus signs on Waxhead labels. I'll get to that reason, but first let me explain PA Ratings in general.

PA Ratings Came from Asia

The PA Rating System was developed in Japan in 1996 and is a UVA protection score. PA stands for the ‘Protection Grade of UVA Rays.’ For loads more information on PA Ratings, please visit What is PA rating for sunscreen?

PA Ratings on USA Sunscreen Labels

For now (Dec 2020), the PA Rating System is mostly used in Asia and some parts of Europe. In the US, if you see "Broad Spectrum" on the label, the sunscreen should protect your skin from both UVA and UVB rays. If you do see a PA Rating, the number of plus signs means this:

Some UVA protection = PA+
Moderate UVA protection = PA++
High UVA protection = PA+++
Extremely High UVA protection = PA++++

So, what is Waxhead’s PA Rating?

For now (Dec 2020), we are not utilizing PA Ratings on our labels. US sunscreens are not required to indicate the level of UVA protection. Plus, we’re a small company and the official PA rating obtained through a Japanese testing protocol is very expensive.

Per FDA regulations, sunscreens can state if they offer protection from UVA rays with a "Broad Spectrum” claim on the label.

Rest assured though, ALL Waxhead Sunscreens protect you from UVA rays (since they are broad spectrum), even if they don’t have the PA label on them.

Our sunscreens use non-nano zinc oxide, which is the ONLY active sunscreen ingredient that covers the entire UVA (and UVB) spectrum. And we use 25% concentration (the highest of any US brand and the highest allowed by the FDA), so our UVA coverage is exceptional.

Waxhead Sunscreen's PA Rating is at least PA+++ and likely PA++++ for UVA coverage, depending on how much the user applies within the coverage area.