Maui Company Creates Coral-Safe Sunscreen

Courtesy photo

With help from the Small Business Development Center, Maui resident Jenna Davis created Raw Love Sunscreen, an FDA approved, water proof and coral-safe sunscreen with no harmful chemicals, preservatives or fillers.

After witnessing a massive coral bleaching event, Davis put her background in chemistry and marine biology to work and transformed her kitchen into a lab to create her own unique mineral sunscreen. “I needed to protect my body, my tattoos and my face from harmful rays and also not use something that would harm the reef any more,” said Davis.

Originally she made it only for herself, but as friends and co-workers began using her organic sunscreen, a demand grew. For the next step into entrepreneurship, Jenna simply drew a logo, created a website and began Raw Love Sunscreen online and sold at the Maui Swap Meet. The product continued to do well as customers kept coming back for more.

Getting her product into retail stores, however, was not a simple task. Davis sought out the Small Business Development Center for assistance. “Sunscreen is considered an “over-the- counter” drug for retail compliance purposes and it is necessary to find an FDA “over the counter” Drug testing facility that can also do an SPF protection rating and a Manufacturing facility that is FDA “over-the- counter” drug certified to mix and bottle the sunscreen. And these facilities are not available in Hawaii,” said Wayne Wong, center director.

Davis went forward with testing and manufacturing. Raw Love Sunscreen is rated SPF 35 and water resistant. It is one of the only sunscreens created in Hawaii and the first FDA Zinc based, plastic-free sunscreen in the world. Raw Love Sunscreen is rated SPF 35.

Her product is in over 100 stores and will be soon be on shelf’s locally at at Whole Foods. It will also be hitting mainland stores next month as well.

In the summer, Davis is taking off to the mainland for a roadshow tour to further educate the public about protecting the ocean and how to nourish and protect the skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays.