Beauty and the Beach
By Kristin Ely

Beachgoers are indulging in health and beauty products that connect them with the sea.

Every beach enthusiast wishes they could bottle up a bit of the ocean and take it home with them. As it turns out, many health and beauty companies are bringing those desires to life with products that offer those same wonderful scents and sensations as the ocean delivered through soaps, perfumes, shampoos, lotions and more.


What’s more is these products appeal to a variety of customers. “Seaside destinations draw in a diverse crowd, from those who call the area home to vacationers and travelers passing through,” says Rachael Farquhar, sales, marketing and social media director for health and beauty products manufacturer Luxiny Products. “Self-care products like ours cater to various demographics, making them a versatile addition to your store.”


She says self-care products, especially those with attractive packaging or scents, can encourage impulse purchases, increase customer loyalty and lead to cross-selling opportunities.


An example it the company’s Citrus Splash Beach Bar “for beachgoers stopping in for sunscreen, bathing suit covers or a beach towel.”


Luxiny Products’ beach-themed bath bombs are a hit with families at the beach, according to Farquhar. As a mom herself, she says, “I love spending the day with my kids, but as the evening has us winding down, letting them take a bath with one of Luxiny’s moisturizing bath bombs is a sure way to get them to settle so that I can tuck them in and spend a little alone time with my spouse.”


Luxiny manufactures a host of self-care products, including bath treats, lotion, aromatherapy and haircare products that are all made in the U.S.


“Our bath bombs are made with coconut milk powder and sweet almond oil; they leave your skin feeling soft and smelling great,” she says.


The company’s shampoo and conditioner Bars are a new idea to many people, and they draw a lot of interest, according to Farquhar.


Self-care products cater to many different demographics.

She says, “They are made with great ingredients that help people achieve healthier-looking and feeling hair. Parents love our shampoo bars for themselves and their kids because they don’t have to worry about their kids dumping half a bottle of shampoo in their hair, and they help cut down plastic waste.”



Sea-scented sales

Karen Wilkinson, marketing director of Inis, says the health and beauty product category can help boost sales in seaside locations. “This category delivers strong incremental sales, particularly if the health and beauty products have an ocean or sea ingredient, fragrance or theme.”


In addition to the brand’s nutrient-rich sea ingredients such as seaweed extracts and sea minerals, all its bath and body products contain the scent of Inis the Energy of the Sea. “Our customers absolutely love the unique, refreshing and uplifting scent,” says Wilkinson.


But it is not just that signature scent customers are going for these days. “Both our Replenishing Body Oil and Rejuvenating Body Butter are trending this year due to consumers looking for mega-hydrating and moisturizing options,” notes Wilkinson.


She adds that health and beauty products are good for repeat business. “If buyers find a well-loved collection in this category, they can most certainly count on repeat and future sales as the products are highly consumable,” she says.


Laura Hatt, owner of Dolphin Wood House Soaps, agrees. “The benefit of having health and beauty products in your store is that it can turn a customer into a repeat customer. The regular customer will come back time and time again to your store to get their favorite product as they may not be able to get that same product within 15-20 minutes of drive time from their house.”


She adds that the impulse buyer can also turn into a regular customer in one of two ways. “They either come back to the same town each year because it holds special memories and/or they shop online with you to get their perishable items that can invoke good memories.”



Small batch soaps

Dolphin Wood House Soaps offers wholesale and white-label products. “We offer you and your customers the opportunity to benefit from a small woman-owned business that produces handcrafted beauty products using quality ingredients that your pocketbook and skin will cherish,” Hatt says. “From the favorite bar of soap to the colorful bath bomb, health and beauty products are never going to go away or out of style.”


All Dolphin Wood House Soap products are made by family members and family-like friends. “Because of the small overhead, limited touch factor and U.S.-sourced ingredients, retailers and customers can rest assured that the product they are interested in was not mass-produced and will be unique in its own way just like them,” says Hatt.



Ocean appeal

True Ocean is another company with a specialty derived from the ocean. “We bring the goodness of the ocean’s minerals and skin conditioning qualities into an amazing line of body products including salt soaks, sea salt hair texturizers, salt scrubs and mineral-rich lotions,” says Darin Trimble, principal at True Ocean.
When offering health and beauty merchandise, Trimble says shoppers like to “smell and feel.”


“We’d recommend displaying ‘testers’ that are easily accessible, as a way to spark an interaction with the products, connecting the shopper with the merchandise, often resulting in a sale or an enjoyable shopping experience.”


And coastal stores can let customers test out True Ocean’s newest offering — a beach perfume called Coastal for the seaside-loving individual. Trimble notes that health and beauty merchandise is a great choice for the seaside retailer because the category is seen as useful if buying for themselves and is considered a premium gift if purchasing for another.


“It’s much more exciting to purchase heath/beauty from a niche, boutique brand at a beautiful seaside shop versus a mass-produced brand at a traditional big box or pharmacy store,” he says.



Practical applications

Even insect repellents and sunscreens can have a more lavish vibe than a utilitarian one. Key West Body Scrubs’ all-natural Stop Buggin Me Spray is a prime example. It is a newer trending product for the handmade, Key West, Florida-based health and beauty product manufacturer.


“It does keep those pesky misquotes and no-see-ums away,” says Angie Garcia, president.
The company also sells After Sun Aloe Vera Whipped Butter that Garcia says is popular in the summertime but can be used year-round.


“Unique products that aren’t widely available in chain drug and food stores make a nice addition to sales and add to the customer experience.” — Gillian Barrie, CōTZ


“Our customers love using this after a long day in the sun, it helps cool down that sun burnt skin and moistures your body,” says Garcia.


All-natural ingredients are trending, according to Garcia, and coupled with beach-inspired scents and ingredients customers “can take home a little bit of paradise with them when they purchase these products from your store.”



Safer alternatives

With more attention being paid to preserving coral reefs and protecting marine life, many sunscreen manufacturers are offering options that are better for the environment.


True Ocean’s new Coastal perfume is designed for seaside-loving individuals.

While MacKenzie’s is best known for its Fisherman Hand Scrub, the brand’s Ocean Safe Mineral Based Sunscreen has become a staple in seaside stores.


“MacKenzie’s is unique in its commitment to providing mineral-based sunscreen that is safe for both the user and the environment and educating customers on the harmful ingredients found in many chemical-based sunscreens on the market,” says Michael Ayles, founder and CEO of MacKenzie’s.


He adds, “Consumers are paying more and more attention to the ingredients they put on their body’s largest organ (the skin). That is why MacKenzie’s is committed to using clean, natural ingredients whenever possible.”


According to Ayles, MacKenzie’s Ocean Safe Mineral Based sunscreen provides retailers an opportunity to carry one of the very few small-batch, mineral-based sunscreens made in the U.S.


CōTZ’ All-mineral sunscreen is also reef-friendly and works by reflecting away harmful UVA-UVB rays before they can penetrate the skin. The product is free of chemical sunscreen filters, oils, preservatives, fragrances, parabens, gluten, and phthalates, according to Gillian Barrie, assistant marketing manager.


Other products include CōTZ Flawless Complexion SPF 50, which Barrie describes as “moisturizing and leaves a soft, dewy finish that’s ideal for everyday use at the seaside or home.”


Maui Vera’s Reef-Friendly Mineral Sunscreen is formulated with a clear zinc oxide that applies as a transparent lotion, hydrating and protecting your skin from overexposure, according to Maui Vera founder David McCord.


“Knowing the environmental impact that chemical sunscreens have on Hawaii’s reefs, we designed a reef-friendly formula,” McCord says. “It was important for Maui Vera to prevent further damage to our environment as well as design a clean chemical-free solution for sun protection.”


And for customers who aren’t proactive about applying sunscreen, Maui Vera offers solutions to help.
The company’s organic After Sun Gel can be applied as a healing ointment. The gel is designed to alleviate the harsh symptoms of excessive sun exposure. Maui Vera also offers Sunburn & After Sun Gel to restore damaged skin back to its healthy, balanced state.



Big box alternatives

When it comes to personal care, big box retailers are starting to carry many of the brands independent retailers carry in their stores, according to Ayles.


“Retailers and consumers alike are tired of seeing the same brands — many of which are owned by large parent manufacturing companies. Everyone is looking to discover new, small batch personal care products. Bonus points for a commitment to clean ingredients,” Ayles notes.


Barrie agrees, “Unique products that aren’t widely available in chain drug and food stores make a nice addition to sales and add to the customer experience.”