After stints in everything from drywall to wreaths, Soleil Toujours founder Valerie McMurray found her calling in suncare while pregnant, when she realised there was no clean mineral SPF she felt good about putting on her skin. More than a decade on, Soleil Toujours has become a cult-favorite brand that makes putting on sunscreen feel like a treat rather than a chore. She breaks down mineral vs. chemical sunscreens, why SPF on a plane is non-negotiable, and how protecting your skin and the places you travel goes hand in hand.
Tell us a bit about you and your company—how did you get started down this path?
I suffer from chronic entrepreneurialism. I launched several different businesses, all while working full-time in the financial sector and feeling totally uninspired by it. In partnership with my former contractor, I launched R&Z Quick Mix, a drywall additive designed to eliminate sanding. We got a patent, that’s about it. Then, with a friend, I launched Holiday Sensations, a wreath kit business that had us sourcing products in Guangzhou, China, while pregnant with my second child. I then launched MerSoleil, a swim coverup and swim line that culminated with Soleil Toujours. I saw a market gap for a beautiful-feeling, clean SPF while dabbling in the resort market, especially as I was pregnant with my third child and couldn’t find a decent clean mineral SPF I felt comfortable putting on my skin. It turns out, after trying to disrupt the drywall and wreath industries, my real calling was saving people’s skin. The life of an entrepreneur is many things, but easy, it is not.
From the outset, the two tenets of the business have been: be good to our bodies and good to our environment. We’ve had a net-zero carbon footprint for 10 years plus, buying carbon offsets through The Cool Effect. We also donate a portion of our proceeds to the Goldeneye Foundation in Jamaica to support coral reef restoration. When you spend your life creating products for the sun and sea, you realize you have a massive responsibility to protect them.
I’ve heard that we get more intense UV exposure on planes. How should window seat lovers make sure we’re taking care of our skin at 30,000 ft?
The windows block UVB rays (rays that burn), but UVA rays (rays that cause aging) penetrate glass (both penetrate clouds). At 30,000 feet, you are significantly closer to the sun with less atmosphere to protect you. My ritual? I apply our Face Glow Tinted Moisturizer SPF 50 before boarding and during the flight. It provides a physical UV shield while keeping my skin looking polished. Also, my melasma/dark spots trigger easily with UV exposure, so I have to wear mineral SPF on my face. Plus, the lightly tinted finish with a hint of glow helps me to arrive looking more put together, and it’s super hydrating without being greasy or slippery. Hydration is key on planes. If you’re a window-seat lover, reapplication is non-negotiable on long-haul flights.
Where do you stand on mineral vs chemical sunscreens?
I’m a mineral girl at heart. Soleil started as an all-mineral line, but I subsequently launched clean chemical formulations to round out our SPF offerings. From a health and environmental perspective, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are the gold standard—they reflect UV rays like a mirror rather than absorbing UV filters into the skin. I also have melasma. At one point, I had a melasma mustache that took five years of napalming my face with the latest treatments to get rid of. Heat and UV are the enemies of melasma, so a physical sunblock is my non-negotiable shield. I do love our chemical sunscreens as they do not contain oxybenzone, octinoxate, or octocrylene, and therefore considered reef-friendly (except in Maui). [Maui has banned all non-mineral based sunscreens, whereas the rest of Hawai’i has only banned specific chemicals.] I use them for the body and use my setting spray to reapply over makeup throughout the day. It’s my most popular product. Fragrance is also super important to me. I only use natural essential oils, no synthetic fragrance, in my products. Our scents are always fresh, crisp, and do not overpower. So overall, our products feel more like beautiful skincare than SPF.
How do you approach staying healthy and relaxed when you travel by plane?
I prefer snacks to big meals when traveling. I usually buy different snacks from the airport stores where there are many healthy options (yogurts, smoothies, pickles, eggs, cheese sticks). I’m also a Sudoku addict, so I play to relax. If it’s past noon, and depending on what I need to do when I land, I love a glass of wine, or two. Finally, lots of water.
Beyond sunscreen, what’s always in your carry-on?
I am never without Maison Louis Marie No.04 Bois de Balincourt perfume oil. I apply it at the airport, when I land, and often in between. It’s an incredible blend of sandalwood and cedarwood; for some reason, it makes me feel grounded. It’s my security scent blanket.
Do you have any rituals you use while on a trip to reset and ground yourself in a new place?
The most vital ritual I’ve adopted is a walk. Whether I’m in the middle of a stressful launch or just feeling the walls of a hotel room closing in, I go for a walk around the block. The ten minutes of movement, fresh air, and exploring my new surroundings get me excited about where I am. I also love food and exploring cuisines, so I always make restaurant reservations in advance wherever I go.
Do you have a workout or movement routine you stick to while traveling?
If there is a downhill mountain with snow, I’m skiing. Otherwise, I am not a gym person. However, I’ve recently become obsessed with yoga. I should have listened to my therapist years ago when she told me that I needed yoga. I’d be doing all sorts of handstands by now, but I’m working on it and will practice wherever I am.
Dream hotel bathroom setup: what’s in the shower, by the sink, and in the vanity kit?
I’m a fan of minimal in the shower, sink, and vanity kits. The problem with amenity products is that they are usually mass-produced by a distributor, not directly by the brand, and often sourced in China. Ingredients are pared down to basic formulas, so they’re not original brand product formulas, but they match the brands’ fragrances. You’re essentially getting a dumbed-down product. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely still use them, especially anything Byredo or Le Labo, but I won’t hoard them the way I used to. What I love more is an insane mini bar, like the one at The Faena in Miami. It’s beautifully curated with everything from handmade chocolates by Norman Love to Soleil Toujours products (shameless plug) and many more unique goodies. I’d love to create a coffee table book on minibars… my next project. I can do much harm to a minibar; this usually results in a painful checkout bill.
Have you discovered any beauty or wellness rituals abroad that you’ve adopted?
I love finding home fragrances abroad and bringing them back home. I love Cire Trudon, which I discovered in Paris a long, long time ago. Now I can get Al Akbar on Amazon, but I’ll always remember finding it in the beautiful original store. I also love the Coqui Coqui Flor de Naranjo diffuser oil that I found at the original hotel and store in Tulum, and now I can find it online. I love associating fragrances with my trips abroad.
What are a few of your favorite wellness destinations (and why)?
I’m really not a fancy-pants traveler. I love finding a soulful boutique hotel or a fun Airbnb. That said, if a place has a world-class spa, I am 100% in. The hammam at Jumeirah Mina A’Salam in Dubai was otherworldly; every room in the spa is over-the-top stunning. The collection treatmentmassage at Las Ventanas in Los Cabos was a legitimate out-of-body experience. You can spend day and night in a spa robe at the Blue Lagoon in Iceland, and it’s a quick trip from NYC.
Then there is St. Barths. I’ve stayed at various properties on the island, but Eden Rock remains my favorite, even though it has been over two decades since I stayed there, when I was pregnant with my first child. I had lunch with the General Manager, Fabrice Moizan, and his team a few years ago—they are true shining stars and embody the soul of that property. Plus, Soleil is carried in the spa there, so I can officially justify my obsession as market research.
Where are you dreaming of going next?
I have my sights set on Japan. I’ve spent my career obsessing over skin protection, and the Japanese have turned sun care into a high art form. I want to deep-dive into their traditional Onsen. I’d also love to take my family to the Philippines to visit my relatives and have my children experience where their grandparents were born and grew up.
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