Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Bulfin.
Hi Taylor, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Sunny Sailor started with two sisters who grew up under the relentless South Florida sun. We were outside all the time – by the pool, at the beach, on boats, playing with our friends – and our mom was an absolute freak about sunscreen because she hadn’t put it on as a kid. We’re grateful for her foresight, but looking back, we had no idea what was actually in it. We’re both pretty health conscious, but once we became moms, safe ingredients became a must rather than a bonus. When we realized most sunscreens were filled with harsh chemicals, artificial fragrances, and ingredients we couldn’t even pronounce.
When we tried “better” options on the market, they were either thick and pasty or not clean enough. We thought – there has to be a way to make sunscreen that’s both safe and actually enjoyable to wear – so we decided to perfect our own formula and share it with others who have the same concerns. Our goal was to make a sunscreen that checks every box: clean, safe, nourishing, and effective for everyone, from babies to adults. We wanted a product that families could feel good about using every single day.
We spent almost a year customizing our formula until it was perfect. We didn’t want greenwashed. We needed it to be ACTUALLY clean. In Summer 2024, we officially started bottling Sunny Sailor. Every word on the label is something we’re confident is benefitting your skin.
Now, we’re in retail locations across the country from children’s stores to pickleball clubs. We’ve participated in events with Jenni Kayne, the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show, and we’re even Kourtney Kardashian-approved as seen on her wellness website Poosh!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Starting a business is scary, but so worth it. Working to make the formula perfect was definitely the most difficult and time-consuming part of the process thus far. We went through 5-6 iterations – ultimately finding that less really is more when it comes to ingredients safe enough to put on a baby. Now that we’ve secured what we feel is the best formula out there, our challenge is getting it into the hands of health conscious people and breaking their habit of using, let’s say, an aerosol-based sunscreen their whole life.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Sunny Sailor?
We’re so proud to have made something that our families will benefit from. Even if we never sold another Sunny Sailor bottle (hopefully that’s not the case) – knowing our kids won’t be baking poison into their skin by putting on another sunscreen will have been worth it. Brand wise, we’re super proud of our look and design. We wanted to go with refreshed nostalgia – something familiar looking but completely revamped that can carry through to current and hopefully future product extensions. We currently offer a 3.4oz tube, a .5oz face stick for easy application on little ones, travel packets, and merch like hats, oversized sweatshirts, and terrycloth travel bags.
One last fun fact about us is we are a team of 3 total! Just two sisters and a dad CFO! Oh, and our model cousin Megan is the one in most of our product shots and website photos.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I read recently that 74% of consumers care about ORGANIC ingredients in their personal care products. I don’t remember reading the word organic when I was growing up. To see how that number has grown and to actually understand the difference in using organic products is refreshing and overdue. We’ve had so many Sunny Sailor customers come up to us saying that they are thrilled to have actually found a product that they don’t have to compromise on. “I used to use xyz because it was the best one I could find, but I’ve been looking for something like this for my kids!”
Pricing:
- CAPTAIN’S CLASSIC CLEAR MINERAL LOTION SPF 40 – $26
- FIRST MATE FACE STICK SPF 30 – $18
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shopsunnysailor.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopsunnysailor
Image Credits
Photos taken by https://www.maggie-barger.com – model is our cousin Megan Puleri!
