With summer approaching, sunscreen is once again moving up the list of everyday essentials. However, for Altruist, the conversation is less about simply wearing SPF and more about making sure people can afford enough of it to use properly.
The dermatologist-developed brand, founded by UK consultant dermatologist and skin-cancer specialist Dr Andrew Birnie, entered South Africa earlier this year through an exclusive retail partnership with Clicks. Now heading into its second local summer, Altruist is pushing a straightforward message: effective sun protection should not be treated as a luxury.
The brand was created in the UK more than a decade ago with a clear objective: help reduce skin cancer by making high-quality sunscreen affordable enough for regular use.
After all, when sunscreen comes with a high price tag, people may apply less, use it less often or try to stretch a bottle further than they should. Altruist, therefore, is built around making generous and consistent application more realistic.
The South African range currently includes five products, from SPF 30 and SPF 50 sunscreens to face fluid and spray options. The products offer 5-star UVA protection, while the brand says its protection levels exceed European standards. They are also hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, paraben-free, fragrance-free and water resistant.
But there is another reason the South African market matters to Altruist.
Dr Birnie has spent more than two decades travelling to the country and has established deep professional ties here. His work included helping organise the first conference and surgical workshop of the South African Society of Dermatology, assisting with the establishment of the South African Society for Dermatologic Surgery and working extensively in KwaZulu-Natal.
At Albert Luthuli Hospital, he ran a teaching clinic for dermatology trainees and also travelled to communities with limited access to specialist dermatological care.
It was during this time that he met skincare economist David Westerbeek van Eerten. Their shared belief that effective sunscreen should be accessible eventually helped shape Altruist.
“In an ever increasing global economy where cost is a key factor when deciding on a sunscreen, it actually is no longer negotiable to get a great quality one that you can use literally all the time,” says Dr Birnie. “And whilst there are some excellent products available, many are so expensive that people are reluctant to use them as often, or in as large a quantity, as they should. This can create a ‘make it last’ mentality. Altruist was created to challenge that.”
Importantly, the mission extends beyond sales. A charitable contribution is made with every Altruist purchase, while more than 63,000 tubes were donated over the past year to charities supporting children with albinism across Africa.
Now available through Clicks, Altruist is entering another South African summer with a simple ambition: make effective daily sun protection easier to access, regardless of skin type or tone.
