Articles

SmartShield PR Sunblock born of Necessity

Sunblock Born of Necessity Finds It's Niche

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February, 2005

When Harl Asaff was diagnosed with and treated for skin cancer, she realized that she would have to take precautions against sun exposure for the rest of her life.

So Asaff and her husband, Jim, did something rather unusual: Instead of using the oily, sticky sunscreen products on the market, they developed their own, ultimately leading to the creation of SmartShield Suncare.

The Dallas couple started out by developing a checklist of qualities the perfect sunscreen should have, and then partnered with a chemist to create it.

When they achieved their goal, they were so pleased with the product they thought everyone else would love it too. So, in 1992 they started their own company. Initially, they targeted niche markets, mainly government entities and private companies. Their products are now distributed nationwide and in Canada, Mexico and New Zealand.

“We really got started with government and industrial employers required by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) to provide protection to their employees who work outdoors,” said Tyler Thomas, director of sales and marketing. “Now, we supply to the military, the Coast Guard, TPW (Texas Parks & Wildlife), even NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration).”

Although the company now manufactures and distributes an entire line of sun-protection products, including some clothing items, the flagship product is still their sunscreen lotion. The lotion is aloe Vera-based and completely oil free.

The oil-free formulation turned out to be a hit particularly with one group of outdoors enthusiasts – anglers. The non-oily lotion allowed them to keep a better grip on their equipment after sunscreen application than with the oilier competitors.

“Boat captains were telling us that after lathering up with sunscreen, their customers were casting and the rods were slipping out of their hands,” said Thomas. “They were losing money.”

Another claim to fame for the product is that it doesn’t harm bait in the live well, thanks to the non-oily content.

The company also offers a combination sunscreen and insect repellent that an independent laboratory compared with products containing the chemical insect repellent DEET. The testing laboratory said that the SmartShield product was “statistically equal in preventing mosquitoes from probing.”

Thomas declined to give exact annual sales numbers for the company, but he said business is good and getting better.

“We are a young company, continuing to grow,” Thomas said. “We’re a Texas company and we’re proud of that.”

For media inquiries, contact:
Stacey Yates
SmartShield Sunscreens
214-634-3956
www.smartshield.com