We had the pleasure of meeting Andrea, who shared her story of growing an incredible brand. Meet Andrea, a vibrant and poised female founder with an unwavering passion for skincare and skin health with a purpose.
Andrea is the founder of Shades of Melanin, a synthetic mineral based SPF30 sunscreen for all skin shades, and melanin-friendly, blending seamlessly into all skin tones.
When did the inspiration for developing your own sunscreen begin?
Andrea has worked on extensive programmes building capacity in communities supporting women to deliver their very own health and wellness programs. Her love for fitness and wellness took her even further afield, overseas in fact, as a professional fitness instructor nearly 30 years ago. It all started in the eighties, when Andrea invested £700 to study her craft with the promise of gaining a return on her investment that certainly came to fruition almost immediately.
That investment in herself literally took Andrea from working in a bank in the urban landscape of London to the sunny skies of the Caribbean Sea as a member of the staff on multiple luxury cruise liners.
Andrea put everything in storage (not including her pet cat)! and became an instructor valued for her ability to train dancers helping them maintain their fitness whilst travelling to countries such as the beautiful islands of St Croix, St.John, Bermuda and Mexico.
It was on these trips that she noticed some of the simple skin care benefits non-Black people experienced were significantly different to that of hers or any darker skin passengers or staff.
Through island hopping, Andrea and her non-Black colleagues from the beauty and hairdressing department of the cruise liner, would frequently and naturally apply their sunblock on the beautiful sandy beaches, as would Andrea, as she understood the necessity of its benefits, and still does to this day. However, at the time sunscreen wasn’t tailored for black skin, Andrea comments: “Formerly known as sunblock, sunscreen made me look like Casper the Ghost.”
What helped take the product from the bedroom to the boardroom?
A turning point came in Andrea's life where she speaks of the sad passing of her best friend Nova (pictured above on the right) who lost her life to a rare melanoma two years ago and sadly on Andrea's birthday. Nova passed from a type of skin cancer and tragically within less than one week of being diagnosed. Andrea said: “there was no time for goodbyes and no time for cuddles".
When they say black people don't get it [melanoma] they can and we do.” It’s a known fact that melanoma is not always recognised on Black skin amongst black people and professionals, illustrations available do not represent what it could look like on Black skin compared to Caucasian skin, making it harder to detect. Therefore we are diagnosed at a later stage.
Shades of Melanin lip protector is named ‘Nova’, in memory of her late friend. Experiencing such a deep loss of her friend has inspired Andrea to educate Black people at every opportunity, through and in memory of Nova and since launching Shades of Melanin.
Andrea is passionate about raising awareness of skin health, the largest organ of the human body, our skin, and doing more to protect our skin daily. It is reported that a staggering 87% of melanoma cases are caused by over sun exposure. Another interesting fact is if you experience sunburn 5 times in your life, you are more susceptible to skin cancer!
Historically, what have been the challenges?
To change the narrative that people of colour do not need sun protection. The older generation and particularly men can be the most difficult to educate on skin health due to the myth that we cannot get skin cancer caused by the sun. Andrea lets us know that we all have natural degeneration in the body and this includes your skin's protective barrier and the loss of collagen. “Why wouldn’t you want to protect the largest organ of the human body?”. It is important that we value ourselves and invest in quality products “protect your melanin” Andrea states.
Whether it’s prostate cancer in men, or skin cancer, we are more likely to get diagnosed at a later stage and in some cases when it’s too late.
Describe a significant milestone for you?
“My absolute No. 1 is becoming a mother to Aliya”, Andrea tells us how the UK lock-down impacted her and changed the trajectory of her life. Like many others, Andrea watched the world go by, the fitness courses and tutoring slowed down as they were difficult to teach online, it was much harder to connect physically, spiritually and mentally through the screen and she knew she needed to make a change and pivot.
She discovered photos and old notes from the Shades of Melanin archive and this was the sign she needed. Andrea stepped into production mode and picked up where she left off and began the process of turning her dream to create a sunscreen into reality.
Andrea made the brave step to travel to South Africa to a lab where she began creating a product with premium quality ingredients, alongside some of the best technicians available and it was there and then, Shades of Melanin was born and formulated with people of colour in mind, no white cast and no toxic ingredients, which was important, given her background, as historically some chemical sunscreens have been documented harmful and not environmentally friendly.
Andrea made it her business to understand all the ingredients used and educate herself so she could confidently talk about her product and its benefits. Not only do the best ingredients come from South Africa, but it also creates jobs within the local economy.
The name originates from “seeking shade” for different skin tones and types, and also the logo replicates images that portray different shades and formulated with people of colour in mind however suitable for all skin shades. Andrea comments about skin health: “It’s time to make a change, to grow - now is the time.
What advice would you give someone wanting to create their own product and brand in 2025?
Andrea’s advice is to “take your time”, slow and steady wins the race, it can be a huge expense to bring a product to market, for example exhibiting at trade events can get very expensive. Knowing how great the product is and the importance of using it, “In my mind, I envisaged products flying off the shelves"; however, this was not initially the case, as I learnt you have to build trust and a relationship with consumers. Research and do your due diligence, not everyone is as they seem, it can be a lonely journey, but with trustworthy allies it doesn't have to be. Leave some room for disappointment, those disappointments are part of your journey to learn from and not repeat. Don’t take things personally, if it's for you, it will be for you.” said Andrea.
What advice would you give our readers about skin health?
Check your skin regularly and be “Sun Smart” and stay safe in the sun, stay hydrated, wear sunscreen, wear breathable clothing, seek shade when the sun is at its hottest between 10am and 2pm, use sunscreen daily, every season, reapply accordingly especially after water sports or excessive sweating and don’t forget areas with less melanin such as the soles of your feet and palms of your hands. Also, she stresses the importance of talking about this topic, especially to your family, brothers, uncles, husbands and fathers about their skin health.
What’s next for shades of Melanin?
Andrea talks passionately about taking on board satisfied customer feedback which reflects in the new additions to her range including a larger 200ml size and an aftersun oil.
As a luxury brand the plan is to remain accessible and be stocked in a variety of beauty spaces across the capital and Europe, including luxury boutiques and major department stores. Her aspiration for sustainability is to develop the brand whilst maintaining the benefits, keeping skin nourished, hydrated and protected using those quality ingredients and avoiding sun damage.
She’ll also be launching a new product, a lip protector named Nova, in memory of her late friend.
Here at BE Member's Club, we are so excited about Shades of Melanin and will be watching closely as the brand grows and makes a huge impact in the skin health industry.
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