Black Girl Sunscreen earned $1.1 million in 3 months on Amazon after imitators were removed from the platform.
Shontay Lundy launched Black Girl Sunscreen in 2016 through a personal investment of $33,000. She was inspired to launch the company after friends suggested she wear sunscreen while hiking.
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Through her research into sunscreens she found few brands catering to the Black community. Shontay created a hydrating line of products that would not leave a white residue on Black skin.
The Black Girl Sunscreen line includes Pumpkin Spice Sun Protection SPF 30, Make It Spice Body Spray SPF 30, and Make It Pop Sungloss SPF 50.
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“There is a little bit of Shontay in all of my products,” Lundy told AFROTECH™. “What was important for formulating these products was considering what is important for women of color and Black women. We don’t want anything to dry out our skin. So while creating Black Girl sunscreen, this and no white residue were the most important factors.”
In a video on Instagram, Shontay announced the company earned $1.1 million in profits in just 3 months on Amazon. She said Amazon got rid of competing imitators using her brand name and likeness.
“So what’s new with Black Girl Sunscreen is that we hit $1.1 million today in about three months on Amazon.com,” Lundy said in a video shared on Instagram. “This is important because previous to us being on this platform, we had a lot of bad actors posing as Black Girl Sunscreen, literally using our images, our name, our likeness, and selling products as Black Girl Sunscreen. So we came on the platform and wiped them all out, and now we’re getting the money for us, for our business.”
Black Girl Sunscreen products were available in 250 Target stores in 2019. The products later launched in Ulta, Walmart, Kohl’s, and more by 2023. Additionally, in 2020, $1 million in private funding was raised, bringing its valuation to $5 million at the time.