DEAS  1205 -2: 2024 
ICS 71.100.70 
 
© EAC 2024                                                                                                                          First Edition 2024 
 DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
Skincare special purpose product — Specification  — Part 2: Sunscreen  
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY   
 
 
 
 
 
  
 DEAS 1205 -2: 2024 
ii © EAC  2024 – All rights reserved  
 Copyright notice  
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Violators may be prosecuted . DEAS 1205 -2 
© EAC 2024 – All rights reserved  iii 
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  iv 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  2 
4 Types  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  2 
Requirem ents ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  3 
4.1 Ingredients  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  3 
4.2 General requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  3 
4.3 Specific  requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  3 
4.4 Microbiological limits  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  4 
4.5 Heavy metal contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  4 
5 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  5 
6 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  5 
7 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  5 
Bibliograph y ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................  6 
 DEAS 1205 -2: 2024 
iv © EAC  2024 – All rights reserved  
 Foreword  
Development of the East African Standards has been necessitated by the need for harmonizing requirements 
governing quality of products and services in the East African Community. It is envisaged that through 
harmonized standardization, trade barriers that are encountered when goods and services are exchanged 
within  the Community will be removed.  
The Community has established an East African Standards Committee  (EASC)  mandated to develop and 
issue East African St andards  (EAS) . The Committee is composed of representatives of the National 
Standards Bodies in Partner States, together with the representatives from the public and private sector 
organizations  in the community . 
East African Standards are developed throug h Technical Committees that are representative of key 
stakeholders including government, academia, consumer groups, private sector and other interested parties. 
Draft East African Standards are circulated to stakeholders through the National Standards Bodi es in the 
Partner States. The comments received are discussed and incorporated before finalization of standards, in 
accordance with the Principles and procedures for develop ment of East African Standards.  
East African Standards are subject to review, to ke ep pace with technological advances. Users of the East 
African Standards are therefore expected to ensure that they always have the latest versions of the standards 
they are implementing . 
The committee responsible for this document is Technical Committee E ASC/TC 071, Cosmetics and related 
products.  
WDEAS/TC 071 -2 consists of the following parts, under the general title Skincare specia l purpose 
product — Specification : 
⎯ Part 1: Anti-aging  
⎯ Part 2: Sunscreen  
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be subject of patent 
rights. EAC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.  
EAS 1205 consists of  the following parts, under the general title Skincare special purpose product — 
Specification:  
- Part 1: Anti -aging  
- Part 2: Sunscreen  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 DEAS 1205 -2 
© EAC 2024 – All rights reserved  v 
  
 
 
Introduction  
Sunscreen products are used by consumers to help protect the skin from UV radiations and reduce the risk of 
skin cancer and premature skin aging. Increasing concerns over the effectiveness of sunscreen products 
available in the market for protection against harmful Ultraviolet (UV) radiations of sunrays led to the need for 
the formulation of this Eas t African Standard to ensure that the sunscreen products are safe and effective in 
achieving their purpose of protection against harmful UV radiation of sunrays as per the claim made . 
 DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  DEAS 1205 -2:2024 
 
© EAC 2024 – All righ ts reserved  1 
 Skincare special purpose product  — Specification — Part 2: Sunscreen  
1 Scope  
This Working  Draft East African Standard  specifies requirements , sampling and test methods for sunscreens  
skincare leave -on products . 
This standard does not apply to skincare products covered by EAS 786, anti-wrinkle products, anti -aging 
products, aromatherapy substances and hair creams, lotions and gels . 
2 Normative references  
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes 
requirements of this document.  For dated references, only the e dition cited applies. For undated references, 
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
EAS 346, Labelling of cosmetics — General requirements  
EAS 377 (all parts), Cosmetics and cosmetic products  
EAS 786 , Skincare cr eams, lotions and gels — Specification  
EAS 846 , Glossary of terms relating to the cosmetic industry   
EAS 847 -1, Cosmetics — Analytical methods  — Part 1: Glossary of terms  
EAS 847 -16, Cosmetics — Analytical methods — Part 16: Determination of lead, mercury and arsenic content  
EAS 847 -18, Cosmetics — Analytical methods — Part 18: Determination of thermal stability  
ISO 16217, Cosmetics — Sun protection test methods — Water immersion procedure for determining water 
resistance  
ISO 18416, Cosmetics — Microbiology  — Detection of Candida albicans  
ISO 21149, Cosmetics — Microbiology — Enumeration and detection of aerobic mesophilic bacteria   
ISO 21150 , Cosmetics — Microbiology — Detection of Escherichia coli  
ISO 22717, Cosmetics — Microbiology — Detection of Pseudomo nas aeruginosa  
ISO 22718, Cosmetics — Microbiology —Detection of Staphylococcus aureus  
ISO 24153, Random sampling and randomization procedures   
ISO 24443 Cosmetics — Determination of sunscreen UVA photo protection in vitro  
ISO 24442, Cosmetics — Sun protec tion test methods — In vivo determination of sunscreen UVA protection  WDEAS 071-1: 202 4 
2 © EAC  2024 – All rights reserved  
 ISO 24444, Cosmetics — Sun protection test methods In vivo determination of the sun protection factor (SPF)  
3 Terms and definitions   
For the purposes of this document, the terms and defi nitions given in EAS 846  and EAS 847 -1 and the 
following apply.  
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:  
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http:/ /www.iso.org/obp  
3.1 
sunscreen  
any leave -on preparation (such as creams, Lotions, oils, gels, sprays, lip products etc.) exclusively or mainly 
for UV protection / sun protection and is intended to be placed in contact with the human skin or lip for the 
purpose of absorbing, reflecting, or scattering radiation in the ultraviolet (UV) range at wa velengths from 290 
nm to 400 nm  
3.2 
Ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation  
electromagnetic radiation in the range of 320 nm to 400 nm  
3.3  
Ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation  
electromagnetic r adiation in the range of 290 nm  to 320 nm  
3.4  
Sun Protection Factor of a product (SPF)  
ratio of minimum erythemal dose on skin protected by a sunscreen product to the minimum erythemal dose on 
the same unprotected skin  
3.5  
UVA Protection Fa ctor of a product (UVA PF)/(PA)  
ratio of the minimum UVA dose necessary to induce a persistent pigment darkening on the skin protected by a 
sunscreen product to the minimal UVA dose necessary to induce the minimal darkening effect on the same 
unprotected skin 
3.6 
critical wavelength (λc)  
wavelength at which the integral of the absorption spectrum curve starting at 290 nm reaches 90% of the 
integral between 290 and 400 nm; for the type “Broad spectrum Protection”  
4 Types  
Sunscreen products shall be based o n the following types:  
a) sunscreen products with UVA protection — based on UVA Protection Factor  
b) sunscreen products with UVB Protection — based on Sun Protection Factor  
c) sunscreen products with broad spectrum protection  — based on UVA PF/SPF Ratio  and critica l 
wavelength  
d) water resistant sunscreen products — based on water resistance  WDEAS 071-1: 2024  
© EAC 2024 – All rights reserved  3 
 Requirements  
4.1 Ingredients   
4.1.1  Sunscreens  shall contain an active ingredient that has sun protection effect . 
4.1.2  All ingredients used including dyes, pigments and colours s hall comply with all parts of EAS 377 . 
4.2 General requirements  
4.2.1  Standard specifications are available for a number of cosmetics. In case, such cosmetics which claim 
to have sun protection properties, they shall conform to the requirements of this sta ndard along with the 
relevant East African Standard.  
4.2.2  Sun protection products shall generally be divided into the fo llowing four protection classes  based on 
the level of their SPF label claims  as given in Table 1 . 
Table 1 — Protection classes for suns creen products based on the level of SPF label claims  
S/N. Label SPF  Protection Class  
i.  10 Low Protection  
ii.  15, 20, 25  Medium Protection  
iii.  30, 40,50  High Protection  
iv.  50+ Very High  
 
4.3 Specific requirements  
4.3.1  Sunscreen product with Sun Protection  Factor claim shall also comply with requirements given in 
Table 1 when tested in accordance with the test methods specified therein . 
Table 2 — Sun Protection Factor (SPF) l abelling ranges for sunscreen products  
S/N SPF Label  Measured SPF  Test method  
i.  10 10.0 - 14.9 ISO 24444  
ii.  15 15.0 - 19.9 
iii.  20 20.0 – 24.9 
iv.  25 25.0 – 29.9 
v.  30 30.0 – 39.9 
vi.  40 40.0 – 49.9 
vii.  50 50.0 – 59.9 
viii.  50+ ≥60.0  
 
4.3.2 Sunscreen products with UVA Protection Factor claim  shall comply with the specific requirements 
given in Table 3 when tested in accordance with the test methods specified therein.  WDEAS 071-1: 202 4 
4 © EAC  2024 – All rights reserved  
 Table 3 — UVA Protection Factor labelling ranges for sunscreen products  
S/N UVA  
Protection Factor Label  Measured UVA Protection 
Factor  Test method  
i.  PA+ 2.0 – 3.9 ISO 24442  
ISO 24 443 ii.  PA++  4.0 – 7.9 
iii.  PA+++  8.0 – 15.9 
iv.  PA++++  ≥16.0  
 
4.3.3  Sunscreen product s with water resistance claim shall be tested for water resistance of 40 minutes or 
80 minutes when tested in accordance with ISO 16217  
4.3.4  For sunscreen products with Broad Spectrum protection claim s, the UVA PF/SPF ratio shall be at 
least 1/3 and the critical wavelength shall be at least 370 nm.  The UVA PF measure from the in -vivo, SPF 
from the in -vivo, critical wavelength shall be tested in accordance with ISO 24442 , ISO 24444 and ISO 24443  
respectively . 
4.4 Microbiologi cal limits  
Sunscreen products shall comply with the microbiological limits given in Table 4 when tested in accordance 
with the test methods specified therein . 
Table 4 — Microbiological limits  for sunscreen products  
S/N Micro -organism  Limita Test method  
i.  Total viable count for aerobic mesophyllic 
microorganisms CFU/g or CFU/ ml, max.  
 Products for children below three 
years  
 Products for humans above three 
years   
 
100 
1 000 ISO 21149  
ii.  Pseudomonas aeruginosa  
Not detect ed in 1 ml or 1  g 
of cosmetic product  ISO 22717  
iii.  Staphylococcus aureus  ISO 22718  
iv.  Candida albicans  ISO 18416  
v.  Escherichia coli Not detected in 1 g of 
cosmetic product  ISO 21150  
a applicable to sunscreen products which do not have specific product standards.  
 
4.5 Heavy metal contaminants  
Sunscreen products  shall comply with the heavy metal limits given in Table 5 when tested in accordance with 
the test methods specified therein.  WDEAS 071-1: 2024  
© EAC 2024 – All rights reserved  5 
 Table 5 — Heavy metal limits  for sunscreen products . 
S/N Heavy metal  Maximum l imita b 
mg/kg  Test method  
i.  Lead  10 
EAS 847-16 ii.  Arsenic  2 
iii.  Mercury  2 
a The total amount of heavy metals as lead, mercury and arsenic, in combination in the finished product , shall not 
exceed 10 mg/kg.  
b applicable to sunscreen products which do not have specific product standards.  
 
5 Packaging  
The product shall be packaged in suitable well -sealed containers that shall protect the contents and shall not  
cause any contamination or react with the product.  
6 Labelling  
In addition to the labelling requirements given in EAS 346, each package  shall be legibly and indelibly labell ed 
with the following : 
a) product  name as “ Sunscreen ”. For products with specific standards, the product name shall be as per 
the product standard and the wording sunscreen shall be indicated.   
b) type;  
c) UVA PF value , if applicable ; 
d) SPF value ; 
e) water resistant in minutes , if applicable ; and  
f) for Broad Spectrum protection the label shall carry both SPF and UVA PF . 
7 Sampling  
Sampling shall be carried out in accordance with ISO 24153 . WDEAS 071-1: 202 4 
6 © EAC  2024 – All rights reserved  
 Bibliography  
[1] Donglikar, M. M., &  Deore, S. L. (2016). Sunscreens: A review.  Pharmacognosy Journals , 8(3). 
[2] Geoffrey, K., Mwangi, A. N., & Maru, S. M. (2019). Sunscreen products: Rationale for use, formulation 
development and regulatory considerations. Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal, 27( 7), 1009 -1018  
[3]  PCD 19 (15096) WC, sunscreen cosmetics products — Specification  
 WDEAS  071-1: 2024    
 
© EAC 2022  – All rights reserved