SolSkyn Personal Care, based in Orlando, Florida, manufactures and markets three well-known sunscreen brands — BullFrog, NO-AD and Ocean Potion.

“Our brands really resonate with consumers,” says Krisztina Toth, SolSkyn’s brand manager. She says that the brands are doing well because the company really listens to its retail customers — and can respond quickly to deliver products that consumers want.

Toth says, “We consider our retail partners our co-creators. We design our sun care products to meet specific consumer needs — opportunities that either we or our retail partners identify.” She explains, “When a retailer needs customized SKUs, for example, we meet that need and that’s one of our key points of differentiation.”

NO-AD Reformulates & Redesigns

SolSkyn recently responded to feedback quickly from its retail partners and reformulated its NO-AD brand, making it the first paraben- and retinyl palmitate-free mass market sunscreen. “We were able to accomplish that in just one product cycle,” she says. “While there is no evidence that sunscreens with paraben or retinyl palmitate pose an issue, many customers and consumers wanted a paraben- and retinyl palmitate-free product.”

Proving its development process is working well, NO-AD experienced the highest growth in the sun care category in 2015, posting a 17% gain in sales, according to this article in Happi. “We’re the fastest growing brand in sun care,” Toth adds, attributing success to the brand’s low price point. “Our products are priced at less per ounce than our competitors. Since we don’t advertise, we’re able to pass those savings on to consumers,” she says. 

This year, NO-AD’s packaging was also redesigned. The bottles and sprays have a new look, in vivid fun colors with stylized beach umbrella graphics in various contrasting hues. Blue, orange, purple, pink and green bottles and spray cans are paired with yellow caps, with each color representing a different SPF. 

For 2016, NO-AD also launched NO-AD Baby Sun Care. “We saw the opening for our family-focused brand to offer something that was missing in the market — affordable sunscreen for babies. NO-AD Baby Sun Care is available as a lotion or no-drag stick featuring organic beeswax, both SPF 50.

Redesigned to Target Men

SolSkyn recently repositioned BullFrog to target outdoor enthusiasts and male shoppers. “Men don’t traditionally frequent the sun care aisle and we saw this as an untapped opportunity. The BullFrog line is now divided into three activity-based segments: Land Sport, Water Sport, and Adventure, which includes BullFrog’s well-known Mosquito Coast sunscreen and insect repellent combination. Each segment is designed to meet the specific needs of consumers in those different outdoor environments,” Toth explains.

BullFrog’s new packaging includes a bold design featuring a metallic silver logo. Green bottles and spray cans have black caps and labels are color-coded according to activity, with black and white line drawings of different sports.

Land Sport products feature a yellow and silver label with a biker emphasizing the brand’s trademarked “Sweat Tech” technology, which helps the skin breathe by allowing sweat to pass through and evaporate. Bullfrog’s Land Sport is available as an alcohol-based gel bottle or continuous spray can, both as SPF 50, and is also sold as a clear zinc SPF 50 Quik Stik and an SPF 50 Lip Balm.

Water Sport products feature a blue and silver label and a surfer emphasizing WaterArmour Tech technology that uses a hydrophobic polymer and offers the longest lasting water resistance available. Bullfrog’s Water Sport is available as a lotion bottle or a continuous spray can, both as SPF 50.

Mosquito Coast products feature an orange and silver label and a fisherman. These products offer patented two-in-one DEET-free combination insect repellent and SPF 50 sunscreen and   are available as a pump spray bottle or a continuous spray can.

“As part of the brand restage, the number of SKUs was reduced from 20 to eight to promote brand clarity and make selection easier for both consumers and retailers,” says Toth.

Ocean Potion Offers Numerous Options

Ocean Potion markets a variety of sunscreen formulations and each provides different benefits. The Ocean Potion line is color-coded by use: yellow for general protection; blue for sport; and green for kids. All feature the brand’s iconic wave logo. The brand is well known for its memorable orange-cream fragrance.

Ocean Potion’s Protect & Nourish line incorporates the brand’s exclusive blend of antioxidants, sea botanicals, and Vitamin D3. Packaging options include continuous sprays, tubes and bottles, plus a jar for Clear Zinc Oxide Face Potion SPF 45, a convenient Dab-On Spot Stick SPF 50 and a moisturizing Lip Balm SPF 45.

The sunscreen products in this range are blue tubes and spray cans. They are sweatproof, water-resistant, and absorb quickly. Cooling formulas calm hot skin with menthol.

Ocean Potion’s anti-aging sunscreen line includes two products — Protect & Renew Face and Protect & Renew Body — in white tubes with teal caps.  Both contain Vitamin E to help protect against free radicals generated by UV light.

Ultra-sheer Face SPF 35 contains a peptide to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and help build collagen. Body SPF 45 helps to even skin tone, delivers deep hydration for 72 hours, and includes Vitamin B3 to target age spots.

Ocean Potion also makes a Kids line, available in a SPF 50 green tube or a SPF 70 spray can; and an SPF 50 sunscreen lotion for Babies & Sensitive Skin, in a pink tube.  Self-tanning and After Sun products are also available.

Looking Ahead

Toth says SolSkyn will continue to listen to retail partners and use feedback from consumers to deliver innovative sunscreen formulations and product formats. “Building incremental sales is such an important goal for us in making our retail partners more profitable,” she said, “We don’t try to steal market share. We try to deliver ‘value-add.'”

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