Black Girl Sunscreen Hits $1.1 Million In First Three Months On Amazon

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Black Girl Sunscreen earned $1.1 million after it removed bad actors who were profiting from the company’s name, image, and likeness from Amazon.

Founded in 2016 by Shontay Lundy with a personal investment of just $33,000, BGS’s products have been a massive success in the market. In 2019, BGS was launched in 250 Target stores, with Ulta, Walmart, and Kohl’s following suit. In 2020, BGS raised over $1 million in private funding, bringing its valuation to more than $5 million at the time.

Founder Shontay Lundy was inspired to venture into entrepreneurship after suggestions from friends to wear sunscreen while hiking in Los Angeles, CA, led her on a search for products — with few catering to Black skin. Lundy discovered a gap in the market for a hydrating sunscreen that wouldn’t leave behind a white residue, so often a complaint amongst Black women.

Designed with melanated skin in mind, BSG dries completely clear and protects melanin without the white cast that normal skin care can leave.

The brand has now expanded to carry several sunscreens and recently launched a lip gloss. Nine months ago, they announced their entry into the apparel category, launching their new ‘Sun Shield UPF 50+ Gloves’.

In an Instagram announcement celebrating the Amazon milestone, Lundy wrote: “So Black Girl Sunscreen, the 2-ounce, has sold 20,000 units in one month. 20,000 units. And 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.”

“So we came on the platform and wiped them all out, and now we’re getting the money for us, for our business,” she continued. “So Black Girl Sunscreen, the 2-ounce, has sold 20,000 units in one month. 20,000 units. And 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.”

The goal of BGS is to start the conversation globally around sun safety to educate and protect melanin beauties worldwide. Black Girl Sunscreen’s message is clear: “Black does crack and it’s in our power to protect it”. The brand runs a blog centered around understanding the dangers of the sun and how to protect Black skin from it. This year, the brand signed three years of sponsorship of the University of Southern California’s Women’s Track and Field Team.

Lundy is also the host of her very own radio show, Shamelessly Shontay, sponsored by Black Girl Sunscreen and powered by iHeartMedia on the Real 92.3 every Sunday morning from 6:30 am- 7:00 am. This year, she was honored by the Los Angeles Chambers of Commerce as a Phenomenal Woman impacting the local community, and BGS was featured at this year’s BET awards as part of Walmart’s Black and Unlimited Program, giving the brand a platform to further education around sunscreen in the black community.