We were lucky to catch up with Michelle Crews recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Michelle thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

This is a great question. I came up with the idea to create a safe, chemical-free, mineral sunscreen because I was running trails and/or outdoors for hours everyday and the sunscreen options available that I had tried would hurt my eyes during sport, clog my pores, and contained harmful chemicals. I also didn’t find any sunscreen specifically for living an outdoor lifestyle or daily use. I started researching skin care and sun care ingredients and the latest innovations and research and found that in 2019 the FDA published studies proving chemical sunscreens to be hormone disrupters and shown to enter the bloodstream. I knew there needed to be a safer option. I also wanted to combine sun protection with anti-aging. I tried many products from various manufactures. I found the use of non-nano zinc oxide as a main active ingredient for a mineral based formula combined with a new technology of pollution protection ingredients, that quench free radicals from the air instead of absorbing into your skin and created my Outdoor Daily Defense line. I also added vitamin C to the formulas for an antioxidant, anti aging boost. I started my company in 2020 and launched in December of 2021. On a side note, when I was starting my company, I was diagnosed with cancer, this further fueled my passion to create a safe and natural product that I believe in.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am on a mission to educate and provide high quality suncare and skincare products and encourage everyone to get outdoors more. I have been a part of the ultra running community for over 10 years and have done extensive research about the benefits to our well-being from spending more time outdoors. I also have a passion for anti-aging and skincare. Protecting our skin from the sun, as well as, from pollution and free radicals in the environment is increasingly important. I started a skincare company, Trail Tribe Suncare out of my own need for a safe and natural daily sun protection product that didn’t hurt my eyes during sport and felt good on my skin everyday. Trail Tribe Suncare has started with two sunscreen formulas that are safe for you and the planet and are perfect for daily use and for sports such as running, hiking, cycling, skiing, fishing, disc golf, and horseback riding. Our formulas are made with non-nano zinc oxide, which is the safest active ingredient available today for sunscreen products. The term “non-nano” refers to the size of the nanoparticles in our zinc oxide and it means they are larger than standard zinc oxide, therefore they will not penetrate into the skin. What I find most important for consumers to know when looking for a good sunscreen is to look for “Broad Spectrum protection” on the label, which means it protects from UVA and UVB rays. A good way to remember the difference is UV “A” for Aging and UV”B” for Burning. Also look for Mineral formulas that are coral reef safe. Our formulas have a wonderful texture and a transparent application which is a great new innovation with zinc oxide products. We have added vitamin C for moisturization and an antioxidant boost for your skin. I am thrilled to bring to market products I use daily and I believe in. I read somewhere that you can invest in the best marketing in the world and people will most likely try your product one time, but if you invest in your product and create one of the best formulas available, people will become long term fans and that is my mindset for creating our formulas.

Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.

When I had the idea to start my business, I had no idea how to manufacture a product, let alone, an FDA regulated product. I had to do months of research about skincare and sunscreen ingredients, as well as, learn how to find a manufacturer. Sunscreen formulas must be tested for years for effectiveness before being approved by the FDA. Any sunscreen with active ingredients such as zinc oxide must have specific labeling and can only be manufactured in an approved FDA facility . These were some challenges I faced as I started my company. I was patient with the process. There are many vendors to choose from. I chose a manufacturer in the USA that could create a formula with natural and safe ingredients I trusted. This can take some time but in the long run it is worth the extra effort. I had samples of products from various manufacturers sent to me so I could try them. I talked with many and asked questions. Some lessons I learned the hard way were with the labels, I had some errors on one one my labels and had printed thousands of tubes with one small error. I learned it is best to go slowly when reviewing and make sure your manufacturer also looks at your packaging/label and gives there approval before printing.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I think a big lesson in resilience for me is directly related to a mantra that helped me get through those tough times as a new entrepreneur. “Believe in Yourself”. There were many days I remember repeating this phrase in my head. Being a female entrepreneur and small business in an industry that is regulated by the FDA is a tough market to break into. There are many regulations from labeling to manufacturing that I had to learn on my own. One thing I never heard successful entrepreneurs talk about is how lonely the journey to market can be. When you start out or at least in my case, it was just me. I had to learn every aspect of my business alone. I remember feeling discouraged at times and second guessing myself. I had to call on my courage and believe in myself to keep moving forward. In 2021 I was about to launch my first formula and then Covid-19 hit and shut down my manufacturer and the world. My delivery date was canceled. I had to watch as millions of people were flocking to the outdoors for family hikes or bike rides just to get some fresh air as jobs and sporting events and travel were closed or limited. I was launching two sunscreen formulas! All I could think about was all these people needed sun protection and what a perfect time it would have been if I had just gotten my formula before the pandemic. I almost gave up. I am happy to say I did not.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.trailtribesuncare.com
• Instagram: @trailtribesuncare
• Facebook: Trail Tribe Suncare