P20

P20 is a Danish sun-protection brand founded in 1979 by Claus Riemann and based in Hillerød, Denmark [2]. Sold in many markets as Riemann P20, it is built around a once-a-day sunscreen formula designed to hold up through a full day of sun, sweat and water. Since 2017 the brand has been owned by the Norwegian consumer-goods group Orkla, which acquired Riemann's parent company and folded P20 into its personal-care portfolio [8].

The brand grew out of a personal problem rather than a marketing plan: Riemann developed the first P20 sun cream to help a friend with sensitive skin stay protected during a stay in Africa [2]. The same year, he created the antiperspirant Perspirex for his sister, Bodil, who suffered from excessive foot perspiration [7] — the two products became the foundation of the company that still carries his name.

Claus Riemann established the company in 1979 with what it describes as a goal of making products with an "objectively identifiable effect" that people could feel for themselves. According to the company, the launch of P20 that year introduced its first high-SPF product, and Riemann's own account positions it as the first high-factor sunscreen offering all-day protection from a single morning application [7].

Riemann remains a Danish manufacturer: the company is headquartered in Hillerød, employs more than 60 people, and states that it makes all of its products domestically in Denmark. Its stated mission is to be "the preferred problem solver within functional skin care," a positioning it traces back to that first sensitive-skin brief in 1979.

In 2017, Orkla Care agreed to buy 100 percent of the shares in the Danish company Riemann Holding A/S, consolidating it into Orkla's accounts from 1 June 2017 [8]. At the time of the deal, Riemann reported 2016 turnover of DKK 133.5 million and EBITDA of DKK 26.4 million, and Orkla noted that its two main brands, P20 and Perspirex, held established positions in the sun-protection and antiperspirant markets and were sold primarily through pharmacies [8]. P20 now sits within Orkla Health alongside sister brands including Perspirex, Dr. Greve, LdB and Define.

P20 frames sun protection as a year-round, preventive habit rather than a summer afterthought, summing up its stance as "protection without compromise." Its educational material stresses that ultraviolet exposure continues in cloud and through glass, and that under-applying sunscreen sharply cuts real protection — for example, using too little SPF 30 can leave skin with a fraction of the labelled factor. The brand presents itself as scientifically driven, drawing on formulation chemistry, dermatology and biology, and manufactures to the ISO 22716 standard for cosmetics good-manufacturing practice.

Commercially, the brand sits in the pharmacy and drugstore channel rather than prestige beauty. It is distributed across 16 countries — among them the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Italy, Germany and South Africa — through pharmacy chains such as Kruidvat, Etos and Matas, along with general and sporting-goods retailers.

The brand's defining feature is its once-a-day formula, marketed as delivering up to 10 hours of protection from a single application. According to P20, its products provide high-performance protection with UVA defence "more than twice as high as EU requires," and reach the top PA+4 rating on the Asian scale used to grade UVA strength [2].

The range is organised around specific needs rather than a single hero item. Its body sprays in varying SPF levels sit alongside face products such as Hyperpigmentation Defence SPF 50+, which the company says visibly reduces and prevents sun-induced dark spots, and Urban Shield SPF 50+, positioned against everyday environmental exposure. A dedicated Sensitive Skin line and a Kids SPF 50+ formula round out the portfolio.

On formulation ethics, P20 states that all of its products are made without added fragrance and without animal-derived ingredients. The brand carries Vegan Society certification and the AllergyCertified seal, and describes its formulas as dermatologically tested. For environmental impact it cites the BASF EcoSun Pass method, which it uses to exclude UV filters that can harm coral reefs or appear on the EU's endocrine-disruptor priority list, and a "Respecting Ocean Life" commitment under which its Original formulations exclude octocrylene, a filter restricted in Hawaiian sunscreens [3].

Editorial coverage of P20 has come largely from sun-protection and active-lifestyle outlets rather than mainstream beauty press. Snow Magazine reviewed the spray-on sunscreen in 2016, scoring it 7 out of 10 overall and praising its water resistance, while noting that its higher alcohol content might not suit very dry skin [11]. The Good Shopping Guide places the brand above the benchmark in its Ethical Sun Protection sector, with a score of 77 out of 100 against a category benchmark of 67, citing the Vegan Society certification and Orkla's stated opposition to genetically modified ingredients, while marking it down for the lack of organic certification [10]. UK retailer Cult Beauty has stocked the P20 Once a Day SPF30 as a cult product for active and travelling users, describing it as "originally developed to protect triathletes from sunburn" [12].

The brand also leans on sport for validation, publishing testimonials from Ironman competitor Cecilie Mathorne and Olympic sailor Michael Hestbæk, and acting as the official sun-protection supplier to the professional cycling team Visma | Lease a Bike.

P20 remains an active brand, now operating as part of Orkla Health following the 2017 acquisition of Riemann Holding [8]. It continues to launch products — including Hyperpigmentation Defence and Urban Shield — and to hold current sports sponsorships, and is distributed across markets in Europe and South Africa.