We sat down with Stephanie Bream, founder of SunDust Cosmetics, a sunscreen and cosmetics brand using eucalyptus bio-glitter to make sun safety and skin care fun and easy for all-ages.
Tell us a bit about the story behind your brand, your inspiration, the meaning behind your practice, your brand mission.
As a mum and former geologist, I’ve always had a thing about things that sparkle – rocks, snow, sea, sand, people… and now… SunDust Sunscreen.
I grew up in Wales where my amazing parents introduced me to skiing. I got hooked and at the age of 15 years, I was chosen to be on the British ski team. I was a downhill alpine racer and since then loved any sports to do with mountains, snow, beaches, oceans, and nature in general. With a skin complexion like mine, I've learnt the importance of using a high-quality sunscreen from an early age.
I came to Australia in 2007 to work as a geologist and worked in the harsh and hot outback of Western Australia, looking for rocks that glitter with gold and other valuable minerals. I met my Aussie husband John in 2009 whilst I was working on a mine in Africa, and our first daughter was born in Australia in 2015.
In 2015 I was made redundant on maternity leave and my mum in the UK was diagnosed with leukaemia. Looking back, it was a big turning point in my life, when my core values shifted away from my professional mining career and centred upon my family. I really wanted to start my own business, that could offer work life balance.
As parent, I found it hard to get my kids to wear sunscreen at the beach or while playing out in the sun. So, I went looking for an existing product that would make it fun for the kids to wear sunscreen without any nasties. Then I discovered plastic-free, bio-glitter from certified sources. I bought some, mixed it up with SPF50+ sunscreen and tried it out on the kids. They loved it! No more stress! When the glitter wore off the kids knew it was time to reapply! Plus, all their friends wanted to use it as well. The bio-glitter seed was firmly planted, and this mum was on a mission.
Our Bio Glitter sunscreen is very high quality, chemical free, plastic free and 100% eco-friendly. There isn’t a sunscreen like it on the market.
What sets your brand apart from others?
Our Bio Glitter sunscreen is very high quality, chemical free, plastic free and 100% eco-friendly. There isn’t a sunscreen like it on the market.
What is your favourite product and why?
Our Bio Glitter sunscreen is my favourite product because I love seeing children smile with surprise when the see the bio glitter in our sunscreen.
What do your customers love about your products?
Our customers love our sunscreen because kids want to put it on and see the sparkles. Also, it’s great because when the bio glitter comes off, kids know it’s a sign to re-apply!
What were the first steps you took to launch?
- Found a good Australian manufacturer and team I could work with.
- Did my due diligence with product development and licencing.
- Product testing on a sample group that represented my customer base
- Developed strong branding and visual photography.
- Built a strong website.
- Engaged a great business coach.
- Started building a social media following.
- Started reaching out to stockists and online wholesale platforms.
Can you share one of your proudest moments in the business so far?
A mother of an autistic child called me up on weekend. She thanked me for developing a product that helped her son to enjoy wearing sunscreen. She informed me that many of autistic children don’t like the smell or the greasy feel of regular sunscreen - unlike SunDust bio glitter sunscreen which has no fragrance and is none greasy. The glitter also acts as a trigger to remind kids to re-apply their sunscreen. She said since buying SunDust Sunscreen her son hasn’t been sunburnt.
It really made me feel proud that I had helped another mum protect her child from the harmful ray of the sun!
What is the best piece of business advice you have been given?
Don’t spend a fortune paying someone to build you a website. Use Shopify it is a great tool for small business owners.
What has your experience with Life Instyle been like so far, and what are you most looking forward to at Life Instyle Sydney 2022?
I have loved working with the team at Life Instyle. They are incredibly responsive and always very helpful with their suggestions. I am excited to introduce the range to new customers.
Who is your dream stockist?
I would love to see my sunscreen in the children’s section of David Jones or Myer one day.
Quick Fire Questions
Q. Where do you see SunDust Cosmetics in 5 years’ time?
I want to see SunDust sunscreen stocked in a shop, in every holiday and beach location in Australia.
Q. What is your next dream travel destination?
I haven’t seen my family in the UK for 3 years due to Covid-19 travel restrictions. All I want to do is go home to Wales to see my family.
Q. Tell us a fact about yourself that will surprise our readers!
I skied for the British Ski team and competed in the Alpine Down Hill.
Q. Favourite dinner recipe?
French Crepes with ham, mushrooms, bechamel sauce lots of gruyere cheese. It’s cheap to make, easy to make and it’s a guaranteed winter favourite for the family.