DISCOVERING THE NEED
Living in coastal South Carolina, sunscreen is a necessity for adults and kids! Our story is simple and true! Our children Elise and Luca where allergic to sunscreens. After trying numerous products and multiple visits to the dermatologists, they continued to complain of burning and irritation. As parents, we decided to take matters into our own hands and develop a hypoallergenic line of sunscreens back in 2005.
We took our lead for LUCA® sunscreen from the European, Japanese and Australian markets. There, consumers are much more aware of the damages of unprotected skin. These markets focus on the UVA rating of a product in addition to SPF values. UVA rays are responsible for pre-mature aging and sun induced skin cancer, like Melanoma. We learned that similar to an SPF/UVB value, there is a rating system for UVA rays called Critical Wavelength®. The FDA has just released new labeling rules on all sunscreens that will mandate that sunscreen products must have a minimum Critical Wavelength® value of 370 nanometers to be defined as a Broad Spectrum UVA/UVB Sunscreen by June of 2012.
DECIDING ON A FORMULATION
Armed with the tremendous data we had uncovered, we met and teamed up with one of the most talented and experienced formulators in the country; Craig Bonda. This celebrated sunscreen expert agreed there was a need for sunscreen products that are hypoallergenic and provided unparalleled UVA protection. Being a surgical pathologist, I have seen a dramatic increase in skin cancers including melanoma just within my practice. It is our continued goal to educate consumers that they must wear a quality sunscreen everyday and that they need to look beyond the SPF rating and look for products with strong UVA protection. We continue to focus on providing hypoallergenic products with superior UVA and UVB protection and to support our claims with the appropriate Critical Wavelength® rating printed on each product. All LUCA® Sunscreen products exceed the FDA labeling standards and offer the Ultimate Broad Spectrum UV Protection! So you don't have to wait until next summer to protect your family from the most harmful rays of the sun!
OUR PASSION WAS INFECTIOUS
In 2008, Karl's Charleston, South Carolina grade school buddies and eventual business partners in Reliable Medical Equipment and Piedmont Hospice joined LUCA®'s mission. Avid outdoorsmen, Alan Richey, Michael Purcell and Wim Kellett are helping to spread the word and build LUCA® into an international company with a Southern family flavor.