How a trip to the hairdresser saved Frances' life... and gave her a brilliant business idea.

When Frances van der Velden went to her routine three-monthly hairdressing appointment, she didn't expect that her life would take such a dramatic turn.

Like most people, Frances was enjoying having someone else primp and prime her hair – that is, until her hairdresser stopped to point out a lump on her temple.

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"She said it didn’t look right and urged me to get it looked at. That filled me with a lot of anxiety, and I booked in with the GP the next day," Frances told Mamamia.

Frances had noticed the spot herself a few weeks prior, but thought nothing of it, assuming it would go away on its own.

Unable to resist the urge, she had even tried picking at it to the point where it bled and struggled to heal. But the bump refused to budge.

Regardless, none of these symptoms indicated anything life threatening, Frances thought. But when her hairdresser raised her concerns, it made her second guess herself.

Image: Supplied.

"My GP helped to get an urgent appointment with a dermatologist and they took a biopsy straightaway. Results only took a week or so, but the wait felt like forever. Especially as the spot was still present on my face," she said.

While the urgency was appreciated, it didn't ease Frances' anxiety – in fact, it did the opposite. But nothing compares to how she felt a little over a week later, when she was sitting in front of her dermatologist ready to hear a diagnosis.

"The results did confirm it was skin cancer," she said.

It's no secret that Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, with the disease taking the lives of 2000 Australians each year. It's so common, in fact, that about two in three Aussies will be diagnosed with some form of skin cancer before they reach the age of 70.

Frances' lump turned out to be a Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC), the most common form of skin cancer and also one that is easily treated if discovered early.

Surgeons were able to remove the lump as well as some of the surrounding skin on Frances' temple to ensure that none of the cancer was left behind.

As fortunate as she was, Velden walked away with nine stitches and also the fear that it could return at any moment. 

Image: Supplied.

"With the sun damage already done, I am constantly worried I’ll get another skin cancer, when it might appear or if I'll find it early enough, and what type of skin cancer it will be," she said.

The harrowing experience made Frances reflect on her sunscreen usage, and she quickly came to the realisation that she wasn't taking sun safety seriously enough.

"Before my diagnosis, I loathed sunscreen – it was sticky, thick and smelt bad. I avoided it at all costs and had even convinced myself it was bad for my skin as I would often break out after using it," she recounted.

"After my diagnosis, I knew I had to change my habits quickly."

Frances' determination to find the right SPF resulted in her becoming the owner of various different sunscreens, but none of them ticked all of her boxes.

"I collected enough Amazon shipping boxes to move a house and was now the owner of an extremely large collection of sunscreens," she said.

"The texture would be amazing, but then the fragrance would make me itch, or the regulation of where it was made was not as good as Australia’s SPF standards."

That's when she embarked on a journey to create her own. 

Frances, who had worked in the beauty industry for years, thought she had enough knowledge to create an SPF that works for everyone, but she quickly realised that it's much harder than it seems.

The first challenge was trying to understand Australia’s strict sunscreen laws and regulations. The second was to actually manufacture the product.

"Right before our first production, we were told by our manufacturer that our key raw materials would be delayed by six to nine months. Meaning we wouldn't be launching until winter. Not ideal for an SPF brand," she told Mamamia.

This resulted in the entrepreneur spamming her manufacturer's inbox, pleading for help. Luckily, it worked, and a few weeks later, she received an airfreight of raw materials.

After setbacks and struggles, Airyday was born with a goal of offering a range of SPF products that suit all skin tones, types and needs.

"We wanted people to use it daily, so we created an option for every skin type, concern, routine, and sun protection need. We also tried to stand out with our unique formulas and textures by creating Dreamscreens that feel and act like skincare and double as SPF primers," Fraces said of the brand's six products.

A year later, Airyday is not only available to purchase at 300 skin clinics across the country but also in Sephora stores nationwide.

"The journey so far has been incredible and beyond anything I could ever have imagined," she said.

While her business is thriving, Frances' biggest goal is to prevent other Australians from getting skin cancer, which is why Airyday is funding 'Spot a Spot', a TAFE NSW course that gives those in the beauty industry the skills to spot potential skin cancers.

"For many of us, we see our hairdresser or skin therapist more than we see our GP, and they see areas we cannot, like the back of our necks, ears, and scalp," Frances said.

"So, teaching a hairdresser to recognise something that looks unusual, but also arming them with confidence to start the conversation with their clients and encourage them to get it checked by a medical professional, could potentially save their client’s life."

Frances didn't protect her skin from the sun for years, but after her diagnosis, she wants every Australian to take sun safety seriously.

"Wear your sunscreen every day, get your skin checked every year, and do not be afraid to launch into a space which feels heavily dominated by big competitors."

Visit the Airyday website to see the brand's full range.

Feature image: Supplied.