Black Girl Sunscreen

What Black Girl Sunscreen does

Black Girl Sunscreen, Inc., operating as BGS, is a Van Nuys, California-based consumer sun-care brand founded in 2016 by Shontay Lundy with $33,000 of personal savings. The company develops and sells broad-spectrum sunscreen and adjacent sun-protection products formulated specifically for people of color, with a core technical claim of eliminating the white residue typical of mineral and chemical SPF products on melanin-rich skin. Its product portfolio includes lotions, sprays, sticks, kids and baby mineral formulas, a men's line, SPF-infused cosmetics (lip gloss and edge styler), and UPF-rated accessories (bucket hat, gloves, water shoes), priced between $9.99 and $29.99. Formulations use FDA-regulated actives (Zinc Oxide plus Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octisalate, Octocrylene) combined with skin-conditioning ingredients such as avocado oil, jojoba oil, shea butter, aloe, and squalane, and the line is PETA-certified vegan and cruelty-free.

Name

Black Girl Sunscreen

Legal name

BGSun, Inc.

Website

https://blackgirlsunscreen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Black Girl Sunscreen is a U.S. sun-care brand that develops and sells broad-spectrum SPF lotions, sprays, sticks, kids/baby formulas, men's products, and UPF accessories formulated for people of color to eliminate white cast.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sun Care Products

NAICS

Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120), Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (45612)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844), Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics (2840)

akta.pro primary industry

Sunscreen (Body) (CRABAHAB)

Keywords

• Melanin-safe sunscreen
• Broad spectrum SPF
• Sun care products
• UPF protective apparel
• Mineral sunscreen

Headquarters

HQ city

Van Nuys

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: Revenue from direct-to-consumer sales of sunscreen products and accessories through the company's e-commerce website. Products include lotions, sprays, sticks, lip products, kids/baby formulations, and UPF accessories.
2. Subscription Model: Recurring subscription revenue offering customers 25% savings on regular orders, providing predictable revenue and customer retention.
3. Retail Distribution: Wholesale revenue through distribution agreements with major national retailers including Target, Ulta Beauty, CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Kohl's, Macy's, Nordstrom Rack, and international partners.
4. Installment Payment Processing: Partnership with Afterpay and Klarna enables customers to pay in installments, potentially increasing average order value.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels12 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Black Girl Sunscreen develops and sells broad-spectrum sunscreen and sun-care products specifically formulated for people with melanin-rich skin, eliminating the white cast common with traditional sunscreens. Its lineup spans SPF lotions, sprays, sticks, lip gloss, kids and baby formulas, men's sunscreen, and complementary UPF accessories (hats, gloves, water shoes). Distribution combines direct-to-consumer e-commerce with a national retail footprint of more than 18,000 stores including Target, Ulta Beauty, CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Kohl's, Macy's, Nordstrom Rack, and H-E-B, plus international presence in Canada and Nigeria.

Product overview

Black Girl Sunscreen offers a portfolio of sun care products specifically formulated for people of color, with core offerings centered around SPF lotions and sprays that eliminate white cast. The main product lines include the Original Black Girl Sunscreen SPF 30, BGS Sun Ready Stick SPF 30 for on-the-go reapplication, sport and active-use sprays, and specialized variants like Make It Matte (mattifying), Make It Glow (dewy spray), and Make It Hybrid (mineral blend). The brand has expanded beyond sunscreen into complementary sun protection accessories including UPF-rated hats, gloves, and water shoes, as well as cosmetics like the Make It Pop SPF 50 Sungloss lip gloss. Family-oriented products include BGS Kids SPF 50 and BGS Baby SPF 50, while BGS Men SPF 30 addresses the men's segment. All products share the core value proposition of providing broad-spectrum UV protection without white residue, incorporating natural ingredients like avocado oil, jojoba oil, and shea butter.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Black Girl Sunscreen SPF 30 (Original Moisturizing Lotion) Original moisturizing broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen lotion formulated for women of color; absorbs clear with no white residue. Available in multiple sizes ($10.99–$18.99).
• BGS Sun Ready Stick SPF 30 Ultra-sheer sunscreen stick for dark skin that glides on completely clear for mess-free on-the-go reapplication. Priced at $14.99.
• BGS Active Sport Sunscreen Spray SPF 50 Spray sunscreen with SPF 50 broad-spectrum protection and water-resistant formula designed for outdoor activities and sports. Priced at $9.99.
• Make It Glow SPF 30 Sunscreen Spray Water-resistant sunscreen spray that leaves a dewy glow on dark skin while delivering SPF 30 protection. Available in multiple sizes ($18.99–$22.99).
• BGS Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen Classic formula broad-spectrum SPF 50 sunscreen for kids of color that absorbs invisibly with no white cast. Available in multiple sizes ($9.99–$18.99).
• Make It Matte SPF 45 Sunscreen Mattifying gel-based face sunscreen with lightweight formula ideal for humid or sweaty conditions, providing SPF 45 protection. Priced at $21.99.
• Make It Hybrid SPF 50 Sunscreen Hybrid mineral and synthetic blend sunscreen with Zinc Oxide that blends into melanated skin with no white cast, delivering SPF 50 protection. Priced at $18.99.
• Make It Pop SPF 50 Sungloss Lip Gloss BGS's first cosmetic product — a high-shine lip gloss delivering SPF 50 sun protection. Priced at $10.99.
• BGS Vanilla Crème SPF 30 Vanilla-scented broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen with natural moisturizing ingredients and zero white cast. Available in multiple sizes ($10.99–$18.99).
• BGS Baby SPF 50 100% mineral broad-spectrum SPF 50 sunscreen, hypoallergenic and ultra-gentle, formulated for infants' delicate skin with no white cast. Priced at $14.99.
• BGS Men SPF 30 Non-greasy broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen formulated specifically for men with dark skin, no white cast. Available in multiple sizes ($10.99–$18.99).
• Sun Shield Bucket Hat UPF 50+ UPF 50+ UV-protective bucket hat for head and neck coverage during outdoor activities. Priced at $29.99.
• Sun Shield Water Shoes UPF 50 Quick-dry water shoes with UPF 50 sun protection for feet during water activities. Priced at $17.99.
• Sun Shield UPF 50+ Gloves UPF 50+ UV-protective gloves for hands, designed for outdoor activities and driving. Priced at $9.99.
• Make It Laid Edge Styler SPF 30 Hair edge styling product with SPF 30 protection, designed to smooth and style hair edges while providing sun protection.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million sun care products sold worldwide
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Brown Sugar Babe (Maekaeda Gibbons)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Collaborative 'Golden Hour Bundle' partnership featuring body oils and sun care products from both brands, positioning collaboration over competition for Black women entrepreneurs.
• Danessa Myricks BeautycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Collaborative 'Golden Hour Bundle' partnership featuring skincare and sun care products from all three Black women-founded brands.
• iHeartMediacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRadio show partnership powering 'Shamelessly Shontay' - a weekly show hosted by founder Shontay Lundy on multiple iHeartMedia stations discussing culture and business.
• TargetcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFirst indie Black-owned sunscreen brand carried by Target. Available in all Target stores nationwide.
• Ulta BeautycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail distribution partner with products available in Ulta Beauty stores.
• CVS PharmacycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail distribution partner with products available at CVS pharmacies nationwide.
• WalgreenscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail distribution partner with products available at Walgreens stores nationwide.
• WalmartcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail distribution partner with products available at Walmart stores nationwide and in Canada.
• Kohl'sminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail distribution partner with products available at Kohl's stores.
• Macy'sminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail distribution partner with products available at Macy's online and in select stores.
• Nordstrom RackminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail distribution partner with products available at Nordstrom Rack stores.
• H-E-BminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional retail distribution partner serving the Texas market.
• AmazonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMarketplace partner for online product availability.
• Sobeys and LoblawsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCanadian retail distribution partners serving the Canadian market.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Unsun Cosmetics: Founded by Katonya Breaux in 2016, Unsun Cosmetics is a Black-founded sunscreen brand specifically formulated for people with darker skin tones, eliminating the white cast. It is the closest direct competitor to Black Girl Sunscreen in the melanin-specific SPF niche.
• Mented Cosmetics: Mented is a Black-owned beauty brand built around shade inclusion for women of color, originally focused on lipstick but expanded into complexion and skincare. Compares as a direct peer given the shared WOC-beauty value proposition and overlapping retail distribution with Target and Ulta.
• Bolden: Bolden is a skincare brand developed by Black and Brown dermatologists specifically for melanin-rich skin, including SPF offerings. Compares directly as a peer targeting women of color with skincare-and-sun-protection positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Supergoop!: Supergoop! is a leading broad-spectrum sunscreen brand with a wide portfolio across body, face, makeup-priming, and kids. It is a broad incumbent competing in the same shelf space with BGS across Target, Sephora-adjacent retailers, and drugstores.
• La Roche-Posay: La Roche-Posay (L'Oréal) operates the Anthelios sunscreen line, a category leader with dermatologist-backed positioning. It is a broad incumbent overlapping with BGS at mass drugstores like CVS and Walgreens.
• Drunk Elephant: Drunk Elephant (Shiseido-owned) is an ingredient-led skincare brand with SPF products. Comparable as an established prestige-and-mass hybrid skincare brand competing for the same face-care shelf real estate.
• Glossier: Glossier is a digitally-native beauty brand with community-led brand building and SKU expansion beyond its core category into skincare-adjacent products. It serves as a useful comparand for BGS's DTC-plus-retail, community-driven growth playbook.

Emerging players

• Vacation Inc. Vacation Inc. is a venture-backed indie sunscreen and sun-care brand positioned on nostalgia and inclusive formulations. It is comparable as a similarly-positioned indie SPF brand with broader portfolio ambitions and significant retail and DTC distribution.

Others

• Briogeo: Briogeo is a Black-founded, clean-ingredient haircare brand with similar community-driven, founder-led DNA to BGS. It is an adjacent comparator rather than a direct competitor (haircare vs. sun care) but useful for benchmarking brand-building and retail-distribution playbooks in the Black-founded CPG space.
• Pat McGrath Labs: Pat McGrath Labs is a Black-founded prestige beauty brand carried at Sephora and select global retailers. It overlaps with BGS as a Black-founded beauty brand operating in mass-plus-prestige channels but competes in cosmetics rather than sun care.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BlkGrlSunscreen
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/blackgirlsunscreen
• Instagraminstagram.com/blackgirlsunscreen
• Facebookfacebook.com/blackgirlsunscreen
• Pinterestpinterest.com/blackgirlsunscreen

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Black Girl Sunscreen