Black Girl Sunscreen (BGS) has achieved remarkable success, earning $1.1 million in just three months on Amazon, according to AfroTech.
A Vision Rooted in Necessity
In 2016, Shontay Lundy created BGS, a 30 SPF lotion formulated for women of color.
Recognizing this gap, she invested $33,000 of her own money to create a product that wouldn’t leave the notorious white residue on darker skin tones.
Made with melanated skin in mind, BGS dries completely clear and protects melanin without the white-cast that normal skin care tends to leave, according to the website.
Black Girl Sunscreen quickly gained traction, becoming available in 250 Target stores by 2019.
The brand expanded its presence to Ulta, Walmart, Kohl’s, and more by 2023. In 2020, it raised $1 million in private funding, valuing the company at $5 million.
Rising Above Market Challenges
The company’s recent Amazon success is a testament to its quality and market demand.
However, Lundy revealed that numerous bad actors were posing as Black Girl Sunscreen on Amazon, using its name, image, and likeness to sell unauthorized products.
This fraudulent activity not only impacted the brand’s revenue but also risked damaging its reputation.
After taking steps to remove these imitators, BGS officially launched on Amazon and saw its sales soar.
“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 an Instagram video.
“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.”
This milestone included selling 20,000 units of their 2-ounce sunscreen in just one month.
“When I think about that, I think that that could be going to an unauthorized seller. So that’s why it’s important to see what’s going on with your brand on these other platforms,” she noted.
Feature Image Credit: Black Girl Sunscreen
