Black Woman-Owned Vegan Sunscreen Brand Made for Black Skin Raises $1 Million

Woman-owned vegan brand Black Girl Sunscreen recently raised $1 million from a private female investor. In 2016, founder and CEO Shontay Lundy began developing a sunscreen formulation specifically designed to hydrate and protect melanated skin without leaving a white residue. The brand’s vegan, reef-safe products are made with a combination of avocado, jojoba, aloe, cocoa butter, and carrot juice, along with antioxidants such as cacao.

“I worked hard for three years. We created a groundbreaking product for an underserved market that resonated with our community. Black Girl Sunscreen brought awareness and shifted a mindset around people of color wearing sunscreen,” Lundy told Forbes. “Lastly, it didn’t hurt that we secured a partnership with a big-box retailer, which activated national exposure for our brand.”

Currently, Black Girl Sunscreen—available in SPF 30 and SPF 50 for kids—is the only independently Black-owned brand available in the suncare section at 200 locations of Target. Lundy is one of few Black female business founders to reach the $1 million investment level which, according to demographic study Project Diane, increased from only 12 women in 2015 to 34 women in 2017 nationwide.