Arbre’s story begins with a beach trip and a sunburnt scalp.
In 2019, Kristina Knox and Stephanie Tien returned from a trip to Wasaga Beach, where a sunburn on Tien’s scalp sparked the pair’s research into the sun protection industry. After an unsuccessful search for scalp-focused sun protection products, the pair’s concern for the lack of adequate sun care grew.
As women of colour and scientists by training, Knox and Tien wanted to challenge the current sun protection industry’s lack of innovation and diversity. The pair founded Arbre, a sustainable sun care brand that aims to provide functional SPF products for a diverse market.
Knox and Tien wanted to develop their first product with three main problems in mind: the lack of sun protection products designed specifically for the scalp, the environmental damage that traditional sunscreens cause, and the one-size-fits-all solution that comprises the conventional sun care industry.
Melanomas on the scalp are often detected late – if at all – and have a high mortality rate. The only effective option is to wear a hat, which is not the preferred method of sun protection for many people. And so, the pair began developing a mineral-based powdered sunscreen for the scalp.
The sunscreen’s mineral ingredients are comprised of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, both of which are commonly used in cosmetics and food.
“The cost of those mineral ingredients are actually not as expensive as chemical ingredients,” Tien says. “We definitely don’t want to put a product into the world that’s going to do harm to
the environment, but we also know that sustainability and making those eco-friendly choices can be a barrier to some people. We wanted to balance those aspects.”
Tien and Knox wanted to provide an alternative to the one-size-fits-all design that conventional sunscreen brands opt for, which is not developed with people of colour in mind. Conventional sunscreens often leave a greasy white cast behind, especially on those with darker skin.
“There’s a lot of segments of the population whose needs aren’t being met right now,” Tien says.
Bigger companies often gloss over the nuances of their customer base, whether that may be differences in skin tone, type, and sensitivity.
“One of our main goals with Arbre is to promote education and the importance of daily sunscreen,” Knox says. “I feel like the current way the market is – with this one-size-fits-all solution – it doesn’t necessarily promote the use of sunscreen for everybody.”
Arbre is built on the foundation of inclusivity and diversity to provide innovative solutions for the demographics disregarded by conventional sun care brands.
“We really hope that by creating products that cater to different people’s needs, whether it’s babies or balding people, older people, young people, everybody in between, that will encourage them to use sunscreen regularly and help them prevent skin cancer.”
For more information, visit: https://www.wearearbre.ca/
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