Hawaiian Tropic Tropic Sun Block and Cream > Reviews (1)

A constant battle that we fair skinned visitors to the Florida shores (or any other climate that is graced with a modicum of warmth) continually wage is the need for ultimate vigilance in the face of the subtropical sun. It is all too easy, particularly in those first few bliss filled days, to forget just how hostile that sky can be. I am not sure that it matters really what brand of sun cream is used, so long as it is applied regularly and liberally – and that extreme care is taken to limit exposure particularly in the late morning and early afternoon. It is also equally important to apply protection liberally and very frequently when by the pool or after bathing.

An ounce of prevention is worth a ton of painful cure!

My personal favourite is waterproof and has an SPF value of 15 (-Hawaiian Tropic). I choose a lotion rather than an oil as it does leave the skin feeling smooth and soft. It rubs in very easily and is not a hassle to apply. It is not greasy. I also choose a colourless one as this is less likely to stain clothes and delicate fabrics.

The price of Hawaiian Tropic varies from retailer to retailer and season to season. A 125ml bottle of Sun Protection Lotion (SPF 30) is around £ 6.20. I usually wait until I arrive in Florida and I can get to a local branch of Eckerds or Wal-Mart. The current advertised price is $8.99 for an 8 fl oz bottle. Again offers vary considerably. If you are lucky you may even see 2 for 1.

THE COMPANY

‘Ron Rice, the founder of Hawaiian Tropic, graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Science Degree and set out on a career as a teacher. On a trip to Hawaii he saw women on the beach** using natural oils to protect their skin. Having looked in vain all his life for a product that would shield his extremely fair skin from the sun, Ron was determined to create a product that would allow him and others to achieve a tan like the native Hawaiians.
With $500.00 borrowed from his father, Ron set up business in his garage. He mixed coconut, avocado, kukui and other secret natural oils in a garbage can, bottled the formula and set out to sell it. "I had an old Ford Mustang convertible that the salt air had just eaten apart. I drove to pool decks and lifeguard stands and sold my original suntan product. I was obsessed," Rice says. The new product caught on immediately--no one had ever heard of a natural tanning formula before!‘
[Abridged from the Hawaiian Tropic web site]

** - bet that wasn't all he was looking at either, lucky devil!! - NF

THE RANGE

Hawaiian Tropic advertises an astonishing range of 36 suncare products. These divide into a variety of categories. There is the Sun Protection range with lotions and an oil that contain sun protection factors (SPF) between 15 and 70. There are formulations specifically for the children (Baby Faces – SPF 50; Kids Splash – SPF 30; Barbie SPF 50 and 30). There is an oil-free water and sweat resistant Sport block. There are ‘Tanning Amplifiers’ which have little SPF but but do have carrot extracts (beta carotene) which can boost the tan colour.

There are three Lipcare Lip Balm sunblock lipsticks (SPF 45) with Aloe Vera extract and cocoa butter in Original Tropical, Citrus and Vanilla Mint flavours.

They market a tanning product that works without the sun. The current advertisement looks like this:
“Now more than ever, many people simply don't have the time to lie in the sun and work on a deep dark tan. Hawaiian Tropic® offers Aloe-rich, moisturizing self tanning formulas that deliver a believable, natural-looking "tan of the islands" without the sun! These effective self tanning formulas are fast-acting and long-lasting and are enriched with our exclusive time-released Vitamin A, C, and E complex to help fight skin cell damage.
Use one of these great products before your next big event and all your friends will be asking, "Where did you get that great tan?"
· Non-streaking
· Not orange
· Dries quickly
· Not sticky or greasy
· Non-comedogenic
· Hypoallergenic
· Moisturizes skin for up to twelve hours
· Pleasing pineapple fragrance
Available In: Medium Dark Self Tanning Lotion, Deep Dark Self Tanning Lotion “

There is even a lotion for use of sunbeds!!

Hawaiian Tropic also produces a range of five after sun care products in pump action dispenser packs ranging from an Aloe Vera Gel, Cooling sunburn gel and skin moiturisers.

THE BRITISH CONNECTION

Hawaiian Tropic can be found at Hawaiian Tropic (UK) Ltd, Lambert Court, Chestnut Avenue, Eastleigh, Hampshire.

They also have an internet presence which is hosted on a rather curious website – www.hotspot.co.uk. Certainly there are details of products, advice about sensible tanning and an on-line shop where you can place your order for the products. This site also hosts a number of message boards, celebrity gossip and advice pages on “Health+Fitness, Grooming, fashion, Travel, Tanning and of course SEX!”

The winner of the Miss Hawaiian Tropic Uk competition 2002 was Emma Gardner and the runner up was Jo Platt

CONCLUSION.

So, all things being said, I do have my ultimate favourite. I have a bottle of it here with me as I sit typing up this review (the temperature barely above freezing, the rain lashing down from a leaden January sky, storm force winds blasting against the window pane!!). I just can’t help it, I’m addicted to that heady cocktail of exotic natural flora, fruits and nut extracts, Vitamins A, C and E complex as well as anti-oxidants to protect me from free radicals. A mere hint of that fragrance conjures up balmy vistas and tropical breezes.

So, thank you Hawaiian Tropic – just another dash of Octyl Methoxycinnamate, Octyl Salicylate and Titanium Dioxide please. Pass me the Pina Colada, I’m going bathing again!

(SERIOUSLY FOLKS: It is for external use only!)