Brittany Jones wasn’t just eager to solve this problem for herself and others, she was the right person for the job. After many years of owning salons and styling hair, she moved to Florida, lived on a boat and “became addicted scuba diving” as she puts it.
Her background with hair products and first-hand experience with saltwater’s effects on the hair, made her the ideal person to find a solution for those looking for saltwater protection or wanting to simply indulge in a reef-safe, beach-scented product.
Diving in. Working closely with a chemist in Florida, Jones says, “We came up with a formula that feels light on the hair but actually repels the saltwater off it. We developed an oil- and aloe-based formula that keeps your hair pH balanced, repels the saltwater, and then repairs your hair while you’re in the water.”
That flagship formula — Feelin’ Nauti Salt Sheild — became the core of Coconut Smuggler’s three-
product line, which also includes Landlubber, a head-to-toe reviver with aloe, willow bark, witch hazel and anti-inflammatory ingredients; and the Island Dweller perfume roller featuring the line’s signature scent.
“Everybody loves the scent so much,” Jones says. “It smells like a nostalgic day at the beach.”
Finding an avid market. Surfers and divers have enthusiastically embraced the brand. “Famous surfers and divers are really loving the product,” Jones notes.
Retailers are seeing the momentum too: “The shops that we are in are selling about 50 units a month between the three products. Anywhere that you get the product in front of people, it does really well,” she says.
Part of the appeal comes from the brand’s simplicity and multi-use design. “Surfers and divers don’t want a million products in their bag,” Jones notes. “We want a couple things that we can keep with us at all times and can do the job. Coconut Smuggler was built for exactly that.”
A safe solution. Just as important to Jones and her customers is the brand’s eco-forward packaging and safe ingredients. Coconut Smuggler uses aluminum bottles for nearly everything. Jones chose aluminum because it’s “infinitely recyclable” unlike reclaimed ocean plastic, which can only be recycled once or twice in its lifecycle.
In addition, Coconut Smuggler’s formulas are 99.7% all-natural, with all ingredients Certified Reef Safe.
“It was important to me to go the extra mile,” Jones says of becoming certified. “Even natural ingredients are not always reef safe.”
Easy to order. For retailers, stocking Coconut Smuggler is simple — and profitable.
“All you have to do is email us to get started,” Jones says. Orders ship in about two days, margins are strong (50 to 60%), and the retail price point — $22 to $28 — makes the line approachable for beach, surf and dive shops.
Free testers and low minimums help new accounts get started easily, and new retail display units are in development.
For Jones, the mission is clear: give water lovers a product made for their lifestyle. “It’s a real problem that I decided to give an answer to,” she says. With Coconut Smuggler’s fast growth, loyal fans, and unmistakable scent, coastal retailers are quickly discovering why.
Contact Coconut Smuggler at crew@coconutsmuggler.com or visit www.coconutsmuggler.com or @coconutsmuggler
