Caribbean Sol is a family owned and operated business based in Orlando, FL, where it is always sunny. The line is made up of all-natural, biodegradable formulas that are both environmentally friendly and people safe. Blending earth’s purest plant and mineral extracts, our formulas keep skin moisturized, hydrated, and healthy all year round, naturally.
Caribbean Sol was founded in 2004 by its current President, Bruce Shanks. Bruce’s 40+ years of experience in the industry is what, in time, created the one of a kind brand, Caribbean Sol. His career began along the coastlines of Florida in the resort pool & beach concessions selling sun care & cabanas to locals and guests. Over time, he started noticing things about his guests and the waters. The guests he’d come to know over the years and consider his friends, were showing quick signs of aging as their skin was becoming spotty, leathery, and dry. The waters he loved beginning and ending his day gazing over became foggy, discolored, and the reefs that so many came to see were becoming less and less vibrant.
Bruce set out on a mission to get to the bottom of the changes he was noticing, as it was beginning to hinder his sales and overall numbers for his operations. After speaking with many of his boat captain friends and other excursion operators, the common denominator, or belief, by everyone was that the widespread use of sunscreen was causing more damage than anything. Boat operators would say that the spray sunscreens guests use on their boats was causing the grip on their boats to deteriorate and cause damage to their seats. Other excursion operators, like Bruce, would notice that when swimmers would get in the water, there was a gasoline like film that would come off their skin and surround them, it was their sunscreen. If sunscreen can cause damage such as deterioration of boats and gas like rings off people’s skin, the question was concluded to “what is the long-term damage this stuff is doing to our environment and waters?” The conclusion was that the damage had to be the chemicals that made up these sunscreens. From there, Bruce began his journey to formulate an all-natural sunscreen made from earth, so that when it was released back into the earth via our waterways, it was compatible and would cause no damage.
After years of working with a micro-biologist and coming up with many different formulations and ways for ingredients to work together, Bruce and his team came up with a sunscreen formula that was not only all-natural but, biodegradable in nature. Which means, the product breaks down and is compatible with anything it meets. Caribbean Sol was born in the latter part of 2004 and has since expanded to a full line of all-natural, biodegradable formulas for your skin before, during, and after sun exposure. Recently, the packaging for the natural sunscreen formulas transitioned to sustainable material made of sugar cane. This new packaging takes our sustainability initiative to the next level. Not only our formulas biodegradable, but now our sunscreen packaging can be fully composted into renewable energy, creating a full circle of sustainability!
Bruce is still a vital player in Caribbean Sol’s growth and success. He continues his journey to educate the public about the harmful chemicals found in sunscreens alongside his family and original micro-biologist.
Look Good Naturally,
Choose Caribbean Sol
Signed,
Brooke Strasser, Daughter of Bruce Shanks
