Brownberry

What Brownberry does

Brownberry is a privately-held New York LLC that designs, manufactures, and sells sunless tanning spray products to U.S. consumers through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce channel (brownberrynyc.com), with historical wholesale reach into airbrush tanning salons and spas and a past television presence on HSN. The company was founded in 2004-2005 by Meredith Fish after she developed the skin condition Livedo Reticularis and built Manhattan's first mobile spray tan service, debuting on Daily Candy in Spring 2005. The product line centers on two continuous-spray SKUs built around a proprietary clear, odorless, water-based formula combining dihydroxyacetone (DHA) and Erythrulose, positioned as dermatologist-tested and paraben-free; one variant is enriched with Vitamin D3 ($45) and the other combines sunless tanning with SPF 30 broad-spectrum sun defense ($55).

Revenue is generated through one-time unit purchases on the company's e-commerce site, supported by historical wholesale gallon sales to professional airbrush tanning spas and salons nationwide, as well as an HSN television shopping channel presence. The customer base is a long-tail of beauty-conscious women seeking natural-looking tans without UV exposure, with secondary positioning for individuals managing skin discoloration, vitiligo, psoriasis, and stretch or acne marks. Marketing is content-led, combining a blog, a press/media page, instructional video content, and direct e-commerce conversion; the company is currently operating with 18 employees, a NYC customer relations office, and a Massachusetts returns/fulfillment site, and shows no institutional backing, no parent company, and no subsidiaries.

Name

Brownberry

Legal name

Brownberry LLC

Website

https://brownberrynyc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Brownberry is a founder-owned New York DTC brand that sells two proprietary clear sunless tanning sprays (DHA + Erythrulose formula, $45-$55) to U.S. consumers online, with historical wholesale reach into airbrush tanning salons and spas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sunless Tanning Products

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)

akta.pro primary industry

Self-Tanning (Lotions, Mousses, Drops) (CRABAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

SPF Cosmetics & Daily Wear (Tinted SPF, BB/CC, SPF Primers) (CRABAHAL), Chemical Sun Protection (CRABAHAD)

Keywords

• Sunless tanning products
• Continuous spray tan
• Self-tanner formulas
• DHA tanning spray
• Vitamin D3 skincare

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: Brownberry generates revenue through direct-to-consumer sales of its sunless tanning spray products via its e-commerce website. Products are sold as one-time purchases with no subscription model currently visible.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Brownberry develops and sells clear, odorless continuous-spray sunless tanning products enriched with Vitamin D3 or combined with SPF 30 broad-spectrum UV protection. The flagship line consists of two SKUs—a Vitamin D3 variant ($45) and an SPF 30 variant ($55)—sold primarily direct-to-consumer through brownberrynyc.com, historically supplemented by retail distribution and HSN. The formula combines dihydroxyacetone (DHA) with Erythrulose and is dermatologist-tested and paraben-free.

Product overview

Brownberry offers a focused portfolio of two sunless tanning spray products: the Clear Sunless Tanning Spray Enriched with Vitamin D3 ($45) and the Clear Sunless Tanning Spray with SPF 30 Protection ($55). Both are continuous spray formulas designed for face and body application. The D3-enriched variant emphasizes skin-smoothing and antioxidant benefits with a focus on addressing Vitamin D deficiency, while the SPF 30 variant combines sunless tanning with UV protection. The company positions these as dermatologist-tested, paraben-free alternatives to traditional sun exposure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Clear Sunless Tanning Spray Enriched with Vitamin D3 A continuous spray sunless tanner enriched with Vitamin D3 that delivers a clear, odorless, water-based formula for a naturally flawless golden glow that develops within hours and lasts 4-10 days. Dermatologist-tested, paraben-free, and designed for at-home face and body application; smooths and softens skin via antioxidant Vitamin D3. Sold for $45 per unit.
• Clear Sunless Tanning Spray with SPF 30 Protection A continuous spray that combines Brownberry's clear sunless tanning formula with SPF 30 broad-spectrum UVA/UVB sun defense in one product. Oil-free, fresh green tea scented, water-resistant, anti-aging, and lightweight; provides a naturally flawless golden tan while functioning as a sunscreen. Sold for $55 per unit.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tan lasts 4-10 days depending on skin type and care
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• Coco & Eve: DTC beauty brand with a leading sunless tanning line (Sunset range) alongside body care. Comparable as a digitally-native, marketing-led self-tanner targeting similar beauty-conscious consumers with broader product extension.
• Sun Bum: Sun care brand that has expanded into self-tanning products alongside its SPF lineup. Comparable through its hybrid sun-care + self-tanning positioning, similar to Brownberry's SPF 30 sunless tanner.
• Beauty by Earth: DTC natural and organic self-tanning brand offering organic DHA-based sunless tanners. Comparable as a smaller, DTC-focused clean beauty self-tanner targeting ingredient-conscious consumers similar to Brownberry's dermatologist-tested, paraben-free positioning.

Broad incumbents

• L'Oréal: Beauty multinational that owns major self-tanning brands (Garnier, L'Oréal Paris) and operates broadly in cosmetics and toiletries. Relevant as a competitive incumbent with vastly superior distribution and marketing budgets.
• Jergens Natural Glow: Mass-market gradual self-tanning lotion brand owned by Kao Corporation. Comparable as a self-tanning product competing for the same consumer occasion, though distributed primarily through mass retail rather than DTC.

Direct peers

• St. Tropez: One of the most established sunless tanning brands globally, offering a wide range of mousses, sprays, and lotions using DHA-based formulas. Directly comparable as a premium, spray-focused self-tanner competing for the same consumer occasions and channels as Brownberry.
• Bondi Sands: Australian-born self-tanning brand with a broad portfolio of foams, aerosols, and gradual tanners. Directly comparable in product format (spray/foam self-tanners) and target consumer (beauty-conscious women) as Brownberry.
• Isle of Paradise: DTC-first self-tanning brand offering color-correcting self-tan drops, mousse, and spray products. Directly comparable as a digitally-native, beauty-positioned sunless tanner competing for the same premium consumer.
• Tan-Luxe: Premium self-tanning brand known for its tanning drops and hybrid skincare-tanner products. Comparable as a high-end, ingredient-forward sunless tanner with a similar DTC-first go-to-market approach.
• MineTan: Professional and consumer self-tanning brand with a strong salon channel presence. Comparable through its dual pro-salon and DTC distribution model, mirroring Brownberry's historical wholesale-to-spa strategy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brownberry

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Brownberry