Everyday Humans’ Charlotte Chen on the importance of suncare: the Hong Kong founder on her brand’s millennial appeal thanks to TikTok and how ‘inclusivity’ is more than a marketing buzzword

Jun 9, 2023

Everyday Humans founder Charlotte Chen. Photo: Handout

Hong Kong entrepreneur Charlotte Chen launched her hip sunscreen brand Everyday Humans in 2018, and today her bestselling product remains the cheekily named RBF – aka Resting Beach Face

The idea came to light when Chen was shopping at Manning’s pharmacy to get some sunscreen, but noticed it only had Banana Boat, Shiseido and Clarins, without an in-between millennial-friendly option

Charlotte Chen has made a fortune thanks to her RBF – and we’re not talking about the facial expression.

Chen is the founder of hip sunscreen brand Everyday Humans, which she launched in 2018 with her first and (still) bestselling product, a sunscreen-serum cheekily named Resting Beach Face. In just a few short years the brand has become a hit thanks to TikTokers and other zillennials who can’t get enough of its cool branding, quality products and affordable price tag.

Everyday Humans’ Oh My Bod! sunscreen. Photo: Handout

“The idea came about when I was living in Singapore, which is hot all year round. I went to [pharmacy] Manning’s to get some sunscreen and all they had was Banana Boat on the cheaper end, and Shiseido and Clarins, which is super expensive. I immediately thought, why isn’t there a mid-tier masstige sunscreen out there that has clean ingredients, is inclusive and authentically represents the millennial generation?” she says.

Chen could easily be mistaken for one of her target customers thanks to her eclectic offbeat style, quick wit and ability to know what’s cool. Born and bred in Hong Kong, the 39-year-old entrepreneur started her career in finance before moving into the consumer tech space (she founded social travel app Spottly). She then worked as a business strategy and marketing consultant. These experiences inspired her to launch something more tangible that spoke to a broader audience: Everyday for Every Body – eventually rechristened Everyday Humans – a brand that embraced inclusivity long before it became a buzzword and marketing tool.

“Back then sunscreens only spoke to the California beach girl, rich yacht mum or hardcore sports addict. I was a city girl who liked to go in the sun, but there were no brands out there I identified with,” she says.

Everyday Humans sunscreen products. Photo: Handout

“I have always been aware of inclusivity, maybe because I’m a third-culture kid. At the time the industry was mainly targeting white people, but truth is, people with different skin tones need sunscreen. No matter how dark you are, you can still get UV damage. I wanted to advertise sun safety for everybody, and I think this differentiated the brand from early on.”

After deciding to specialise in sunscreen – “in beauty you have to pick a lane because it’s rare to find a brand that can cross categories at the beginning” – Chen took her idea to a trade show in New York and the line was soon picked up by US retailer Madewell.

She started to roll out more products, including an SPF50 body lotion called Oh My Bod!, which caught the attention of additional retailers like cosmetics giants Ulta in the US and Sephora in Asia. The brand also started to gain momentum across social media thanks to its no-holds-barred messaging, eco-friendly stance and effective products (one of its major selling points is no “white cast”, which is common with many sunscreen brands).