By Johnny Diaz
Sun Sentinel
WWR Article Summary (tl;dr) Two Florida moms have created a glittery lotion with sun protection made from natural ingredients including algae extract, coconut oil, aloe vera, vitamin E and niacin. The glitter, which comes in pink and gold, is nonmetallic and cosmetic grade and does not contain aluminum.
Sun Sentinel
Two moms had a spark of an idea that led to a $10,000 check from the “Steve Harvey” show.
Dianna Clark-Akers and Meredith Madsen were neighbors in Fort Lauderdale three years ago when they decided to develop Sparkle Sunscreen.
The sun protection line comes with colorful glitter and fragrances meant to make them fun for children.
“She invited me over to her house for a barbecue, and her daughter didn’t want to wear sunscreen,” recalled Madsen.
“And I told Meredith about my idea for Sparkle Sunscreen,” added Clark-Akers, who has two daughters, ages 9 and 10.
The founders of the Fort Lauderdale-based company, Glitter Tots, were invited to tape a segment about inventive summer products on comedian Steve Harvey’s daytime show. They got 30 seconds to pitch their Sparkle Screen against another guest.
“It was a great opportunity,” said Madsen, who now lives in Boca Raton. “Of course, we would want to do it.”
The episode, which aired May 19, showed the moms being crowned “The Next Big Success.” They were presented with a check for $10,000 at Harvey’s Chicago studios.
“We made them ship us the giant check,” said Clark-Akers.
The women said they’re reinvesting the money into the company, which has become their full-time job. Madsen also runs an advertising agency.
Working with a manufacturer, the women said they produced a lotion with a sun protection factor of 30 and higher and natural ingredients including algae extract, coconut oil, aloe vera, vitamin E and niacin.
The glitter, which comes in pink and gold, is nonmetallic and cosmetic grade and doesn’t contain aluminum, according to their website. The pair said their products are approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Among their products, the women later came up with a sunscreen with bug repellent called Jungle Screen. They also added scents such as strawberry and kiwi pear.
“People refer to our sunscreen as ‘flavors,’ but you don’t eat our sunscreen. It’s a scent,” said Clark-Akers.
The lotions are sold in some local resorts and stores and online at glittertots.com. The creams start at $16.95.
“We are a piece of the sun safety puzzle, and that’s what it’s about for us,” said Madsen, who has two sons, ages 3 and 9.
“This is really about having a bigger conversation about making kids, from the beginning, wear sunscreen.”
