Mélasun is redefining suncare as we know it
Written by Marianne Olaleye, JAIKU
With over 22 years of experience under her belt, founder Marina Camu is fusing her love of K-Beauty and a varied skill set to create the go-to SPF for melanin-rich skin.
Photographed by Krystal Nuevill
Black women need decent sun-care too. And yet astonishingly, there’s been a major gap in the market. Until now. Launching Mélasun in 2022, French founder Marina Camu had a very clear goal in mind.
“After two decades building beauty brands, I realised there were still no suncare products that truly worked for darker skin tones – visually, functionally, or affordably,” she says.
Let’s rewind a second. It’s been a long journey for Camu to get here. Starting her beauty and business career as a production technician at Pantene, to becoming a regional supply chain director at Procter and Gamble for the last decade, she has worked her way up the ladder and managed a team of 30 plus people. With all that knowledge under her belt, starting a business of her own just made sense.
“I went from managing supply chains across Paris, London, and Dubai to starting from scratch,” she adds. “I wanted the freedom to build something meaningful for consumers who’ve been overlooked.”
Entrepreneurship was her ticket to move independently, and cater to underserved audiences.
But it’s not been without its challenges. With no corporate backing, Camu had to be resourceful and strategic with her business plan. “I was used to big budgets and prestige… this time, it was just an idea,” she says. She struck gold this year becoming BGF and Glossier’s Black Beauty Grant winner. “Winning the grant gave us funding, visibility, and a network of women who understand this journey,” she continues. “It was really the first time that I was recognised for the work which has been done.”
In March 2025, the brand launched B2B (business to business for you novices) starting with retailers in southern France to build traction and scale production. “We are working for a D2C (direct to consumer) launch for the end of this year.” Using her experience as a supply chain leader at big companies, Camu realised the potential for higher revenue with retail and distributors. “With B2B, you can move volume faster,” she says. “I knew it would take time for an unknown brand to stand out online – retail gave us early momentum.”
Mèlasun’s ‘Le Glow’ Brightening Body Cream
Since visiting South Korea, Camu has felt a correlation in cultural values between Korean and African skin rituals. “K-beauty’s emphasis on glow, hydration, and preventing hyperpigmentation aligns perfectly with how the Black diaspora cares for skin,” she says. “When I visited labs there, I knew I’d found the right partners for formula and packaging.”
Her advice to anyone thinking of starting a business? “Accept that you will be cash-negative for a long time,” she says. But she remains ambitious.
“I want Melasun to be a £4M brand in three years. But more than that, I want our products to feel made for our audience, because they are.”
Thank you so much to Marina for sharing such inspiring words with us.
Connect with Marina or read more about the Black Beauty Grant programme here.
We’re eager to learn, collaborate, and share knowledge, so if you’re interested in working with us, say hello@blackgirlfest.com
BGF x
