Tell us about how and why Sol Goods came about?

I started Sol after wanting to naturally protect myself and my partner Luke’s faces when we travelled the coast of Central America chasing waves 7 years ago. We were using an amazing natural one out of Indonesia but we unfortunately couldn't buy it from New Zealand. After searching around I quickly realised there was no natural zinc available in New Zealand so I thought why not start making it ourselves! I completed a diploma in Natural Skincare and Science and Luke is a chef so together we started mixing in our kitchen at home.

The first year we refined and refined the recipe while giving it to our mates, we soon were being asked for it from friends of friends, so started selling it in a few local shops... from there it all really began, we quickly realised Zinc is such a specialised product but everyone needs/should be wearing sunscreen. We worked closely with a lab to formulate a sunscreen and here we are today servicing almost 100 stores and offering our Customers a suncare range safe for them without the cost of the Planet. Also we hung up our kitchen hats a long time ago and can assure you our Zinc for a long time has been made out of a Laboratory and not our home kitchen, ha!

What was the hardest part about making sure it’s sustainable and you’re not falling into the category of green washing?

Greenwashing, yeah that's a biggie. I think the absolute hardest part is actually everyone has their own point of view on what is better than the next thing. It is hard to stand out amongst the "larger companies" that unfortunately have large budgets to be able to afford to market a whole bunch of greenwash marketing.

For us, we are a small Family owned Business and sustainability isn't just a part of Sol, it's a part of who we are. Myself as a person, we try our best to live sustainably, and by humanising our brand which I think it shows authentically how we choose to live in our day to day life which carries through to Sol.

We both live and breathe the ocean, so offering sunscreen that doesn't harm the reefs was a non negotiable. I also am a huge advocate for reducing plastic consumption, we live in a World of convenience and over consumption of plastic is detrimental to our environment. The reality is recycling can not keep up and the sad fact is only 9% of Plastic globally in the beauty industry is recycled. So with that said we will avoid plastic at all costs. Our packaging is designed to be refilled and this is the future direction Sol will continue to head into. We are always searching for new ways to improve in every aspect and will continue to be transparent to our customers along this Journey from sourcing of ingredients, manufacturing to packaging and freight, everything is considered and will continue to be.

What is the most challenging part of starting your own business?

Honestly, to keep moving forward. When you're in the driver's seat and you don't have anyone you have to answer to, it's hard to discipline yourself to keep pushing forward in pursuing your business. Especially in the early days, when you're putting in so much hard work but are yet to see the results of your hard work begin to pay off. I think remembering why you started, and coming back to your core values in those challenging times is so so important.

What tips would you give to somebody who wants to start an eco business but has no idea where to start?

Research, Research, Research!! EVERYTHING from ingredient sourcing to packaging, to pricing. Look at your competitors, not to copy but to gain knowledge to draw inspiration from, find a gap in the market or decide on how you can offer that product or service that is unique to you and your core values. I can not stress enough when it comes to the pricing and budgeting, I would 100% recommend to seek advice from someone running a business or seek a course to teach you the fundamentals to price accordingly. Especially in the product business pricing is more than just your COGS (Cost of Goods Sold) you need to consider so much more and I know most businesses fail in the first 2 years because of lack of funds as they have priced too low because they think I will just start "cheaper" so everyone can afford my product - NO!! trust me I have learnt the hard way in this and it doesn't work, market to everyone, you market to no one. Under sell your goods and you're left wondering why you are burnt out with no money in the pocket. Lastly, believe in yourself! your business will pivot and change, mistakes will be made, but don't see this as failure see it as learning, your mindset is everything!

What’s one thing that happened recently that you’re proud of?

When I get a nice review from a customer it solidifies why I started Sol. Not long ago I had a concerned parent reach out to try our sunscreen on his son who has Leukemia and was suffering from severe Eczema from his Chemotherapy. It had gotten so bad he couldn't swim in the ocean with his brothers and sisters but they still wanted to be able to take him to the beach to play and be amongst the fun. After trying our sunscreen his Dad informed me they tried it over 2 days.. "No complaints, no burning, no reaction, no rash."

To hear this feedback from our Customers, to know we are able to protect them safely from the sun, really just makes me so incredibly proud, and is a great reminder of our mission for why we started in the first place.

What do you want from the future of Sol Goods?

We want to go International and be able to offer our products Worldwide, along with offering the service to be able to take your jar into a refill store and refill your sunscreen. This is something we are working very hard on along with some awesome new product release ideas!