Daily Shade Sunscreen: Natural Sunscreen where Zinc Disappears like Magic!
- KLS
- 3 days ago
- 8 min read
For the 209th feature of our "Together Talks" campaign, we collaborated with Daily Shade Sunscreen and Founder, Breelyn Vanleeuwen. Their Kid’s TRUE Mineral Sunscreen Line: Where ZINC disappears like MAGIC!
Invisible and GHOST-FACE FREE!
Mom tested and approved.
Perfect for daily use.
"Together Talks" feature # 209: Daily Shade Sunscreen presented by KLS - Your Trusted Shipping Solutions In The USA
What separates you from your competition? What have been the biggest challenges? Goals for upcoming year + Next phase of the company?
What were your concerns to transition to starting your own business? How have you dealt with being the face of the company?
What have you learned since becoming an entrepreneur? What aspect of entrepreneurship do you appreciate the most? Share a decision that you made that was detrimental? What is your why?
Story of how it was created?
It was created out of necessity, which I think is where all great products come from—when you can’t find what you’re looking for, so you make it yourself.
My daughter had a really horrible reaction to a chemical sunscreen, a very mainstream popular brand, that even had “baby” written across it. We were at the beach celebrating her first birthday with a cake smash, and we covered her in this new sunscreen we had just grabbed off the shelf at a local gas station or grocery store. Shortly after, she had an awful reaction. She developed blisters that lasted for a couple of weeks, and it was terrible.
At first, I didn’t know what she was allergic to, but eventually we discovered it was the chemical sunscreen. That experience led me down the path of trying to find a sunscreen that worked for my family. Every product I tried either caused a reaction or wasn’t truly mineral-based. I learned that most sunscreens marketed as “mineral” are actually hybrids, they mix a little physical barrier like zinc with chemical ingredients. Even though they market themselves as true mineral sunscreens, they’re not, and my daughter was reacting to those hybrids.
When I finally found a true mineral sunscreen, it left her looking like a little white ghost running around. The more products I tried, the worse it got. I spent thousands of dollars before realizing there was a hole in the market. This hadn’t been done well, so I fixed it. I created a product. It took a long time, but we did it.
What separates you from your competition?
What really separates us is that we’re a true mineral sunscreen. That means we don’t use boosters or UV chemical filters in our product.
A lot of companies claim they’re mineral, but if you read the fine print, specifically the inactive ingredients, you’ll often see chemicals like butyloctyl salicylate. That’s one of the most common SPF boosters used to make a sunscreen feel smoother and more like a chemical sunscreen. But that’s exactly what it is: a chemical booster.
Our sunscreen doesn’t contain any of those ingredients. It’s 99.4% naturally derived, and the biggest thing is it disappears on the skin. No more “white ghost” look. Our logo even has a ghost with a line through it to represent that. We’re proud to be a true mineral sunscreen that’s also aesthetically pleasing.
What have been the biggest challenges?
Initially, I thought the hardest part would be creating the product. It took us four years to figure out how to make a true mineral sunscreen that didn’t make your kid look ridiculous. During that process, I realized why so many companies cut corners—it’s really hard to do it right.
Sunscreen is regulated as a drug, so it has to go through FDA testing. We don’t white-label products; every formula is original. I thought that would be the hardest part. It turns out, it wasn’t. Marketing is the hardest part.
You can have the greatest product on Earth, but if no one knows you exist, it doesn’t matter. Unfortunately, it’s not the best product that sells, it’s the best-marketed one.
I’m self-funded, not backed by venture capital, so marketing on a budget has been my biggest challenge.
Goals for upcoming year + Next phase of the company?
Whenever I set goals, I go back to our mission: to decrease skin cancer in the rising generation. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in America—and the most preventable. Up to 90% of melanoma cases are caused by UV exposure.
There are 74 million kids in America under 18. That’s 74 million opportunities to make an impact. To truly change the statistics, we’d have to reach around 5% of those kids, about 3.7 million, which is a massive goal.
So, this year, we’re focusing on education and social impact. We have campaigns planned that will reach about a million kids or parents through schools and community organizations.
On the business side, we’re exploring regional and national retail distribution, but we’re scaling smart. I’m not chasing flashy partnerships like Target or Whole Foods just yet. Retail distribution is expensive, and staying competitive once you’re in stores requires significant investment.
So, for 2026, our goal is to strengthen our D2C (direct-to-consumer) community and organic reach. For 2027, we’re aiming for larger retail distribution.
What were your concerns to transition to starting your own business?
By training, I’m a physician assistant (PA). I practiced medicine for 15 years and was a full-time faculty professor at Utah Valley University’s PA program when I made this leap. I loved my job teaching, mentoring, working with students, so leaving wasn’t easy.
But I have four young children, and I couldn’t do everything. Something had to give. After much prayer and reflection, I knew it was time. I launched the company in June and left my job the following January.
It was scary to walk away from a secure position with benefits and retirement, but I’ve never looked back. I still teach occasionally as an adjunct, which I love, but this business is where I’m meant to be.
How have you dealt with being the face of the company?
I created this for my kids. Living in Utah, the state with the highest rate of melanoma, I saw firsthand how dangerous sun exposure can be. When I worked in reconstructive facial plastic surgery, I saw young women with severe facial scars from melanoma, often due to tanning and poor sun habits.
I wanted better for my children. But even with mineral sunscreens, I worried about what I was putting on their skin every day. That led me to formulate a product so clean that I could confidently use it daily on my own kids.
We don’t use any of the 1,700 ingredients banned in the EU. I truly believe we have the cleanest kid sunscreen on the market.
I hope one day the brand grows large enough that I’m not the face of it, but for now, I’m proud to be. We didn’t white-label; we built everything from scratch. I’m proud of that integrity and of the example it sets.
What have you learned since becoming an entrepreneur?
Honestly? At first—nothing. I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t know what Shopify was, how to do packaging, SEO, or marketing. Every day felt like a crash course in entrepreneurship.
But I’ve learned. I hired an e-commerce coach and invested in myself. Entrepreneurship is like medicine, you can’t just wing it. You have to learn and train.
Now, I’m figuring it out day by day. You don’t have to know everything to start. You just have to start and commit to learning along the way.
What aspect of entrepreneurship do you appreciate the most?
The day we made our first product was one of the most magical moments of my life. We spent four years developing it, and seeing it finally produced was surreal.
As a mom of four, I’ve created life—but this was different. This was something I envisioned and designed from scratch. Watching it come to life was incredible. I still get chills thinking about it.
Share a decision that you made that was detrimental?
Two come to mind.
First, I made a very expensive commercial, complete with a full production crew. It looked great, but it flopped. People want authentic content, not overproduced ads. It was a costly lesson in understanding my audience.
Second, I trusted others too much. An ad manager overspent my account by $9,000 without permission. That was a huge hit for a small business. I realized I needed to understand every part of my business myself before outsourcing. Never give up your power completely—learn how to do it first.
What is your why?
My “why” is to decrease skin cancer in the rising generation. Utah, my home state, has the highest rate of melanoma in the country—three times the national average. The environment, elevation, and outdoor lifestyle all contribute.
Our mission starts here, but my hope is to expand nationwide and eventually globally. If we can teach kids to treat sunscreen like brushing their teeth, part of their daily routine, then we can prevent most skin cancer.
Up to 80% of lifetime sun damage occurs before age 18. That’s why I’m so passionate about this. I’m not in it for massive profits or investor pressure. I just want to make a real impact.
I’ve turned down money and offers that didn’t align with our mission because our kids deserve better.
Do you have a moment that brings you the most joy?
Seeing the product made was incredible, but the only moment that topped it was when my daughters used it for the first time. Watching them hold the bottles and realize, “My mom made this for me,” was pure magic.
PSA
Parents need to understand that sun protection is a year-round necessity. It’s not just for summer or sports, it should be part of daily hygiene. Kids should brush their teeth and apply sunscreen every morning.
Snow actually reflects 150% more UV rays, so winter can be even riskier than summer.
Be mindful of what you put on your child’s skin, it’s their largest organ. Choose clean, effective products and apply them correctly. Sprays often waste more product than they protect. Zinc is still the best and safest sun protection available, and we’ve fixed the issue of it being pasty and white.
Piece of Advice
f you have a dream or idea sitting on your heart—don’t ignore it because you don’t know how to start. Ideas are fleeting; if you don’t act on them, they’ll go to someone else who will.
Life is short. Start now. You’ll figure it out along the way. You don’t need to have all the answers, you just need to begin.
Promo Code
Purchase from Daily Shade Sunscreen
Use promo code:
KLS20 -> 20% off!
Community Callout
Karalynne Call - Just Ingredients Carolyn listed us on her website, and that boosted our SEO tremendously. I’m so grateful for her support of small businesses. Eric Gonzalez - Advanced Graphics Eric helped me design my first endcap display and worked with me on small quantities when most companies wouldn’t. He even met me off the freeway to make sure it was perfect.
Carmel - Mokida Market
She was the first person to ever take a chance on me at a retail distribution. It was the very first place I ever got put in on the shelf. I wasn't in anywhere and she took a chance on me and I appreciate her so much.
Leah Koskinen She is a survivor, advocate, and supporter in the melanoma community. MRA (Melanoma Research Alliance) They have partnered with us as a resource and we are grateful for that support. Jeff Durham - Gimme Beauty
In Closing
KLS wants to thank Daily Shade Sunscreen and Founder, Breelyn Vanleeuwen, for today's "Together Talks" feature. Follow along for their journey with their social handles below!