Tired of carrying expensive umbrellas and eventually opting not to go outside is why Shontay Lundy created Black Girl Sunscreen.
Lundy had enough and decided to put a natural sunscreen, without the white residue, on the market for women of color.
“It is a myth that people of color don’t need to wear sunscreen. This misconception may have to do with much of the advertising and public awareness campaigns being geared towards fair-skinned individuals,” Lundy said. “However, people of color are also at risk of getting skin cancer despite additional melanin in the skin. In fact, African Americans have the highest rate of mortality in the U.S. population after receiving a melanoma diagnosis.”
Four years since its launch in Miami, Florida, BGS is the latest black-owned product to be sold in Target stores, as reported in Black Enterprise.
Lundy’s products do not include the ingredients Oxybenzone and Octinoxate, which she says means you won’t have to worry about toxins disrupting your hormones.
Her broad spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen uses ingredients such as avocado, jojoba, sunflower oil, and carrot juice to protect and moisturize melanted skin.
“I never knew what the impact would be today,” she told Black Enterprise. “It’s now about creating and continuing the conversation of sun protection amongst women of color. About the importance of wearing sunscreen and the benefits of it—and not just from a health perspective – but also [from] a cosmetic perspective.”
Lundy attributes her success to the black dollar and black-owned businesses. From the beginning, she would partner with local retailers who catered to people of color.
“They’re our first line of defense. When you go in to get a facial or some other type of service, a skin esthetician will give you a list of recommended products to use, so I have to attribute some of the success to them. To just us holding hands and believing in what we’re doing and being a part of this movement,” she said.
Support Black Girl Sunscreen by shopping online at Target.com or the company website.