Sun Bum makes sunscreen, lip balm, hair care, after-sun, and beach accessories. The brand started in Cocoa Beach, Florida, about 170 miles up the coast from our Deerfield Beach store. We carry over 70 Sun Bum products across all four Island Water Sports locations, from the SPF 50 lotion that most people reach for to the UPF 50+ Beach Umbrella that is our most searched Sun Bum product online. Lip balms start at $3.99. The umbrella is $49.99. Everything below is on the shelf. Call 954-427-4929 to check a size or flavor before you drive over.
The brand
Sun Bum was founded around 2010 in an old beach house off A1A in Cocoa Beach. The first samples went to local surfers and lifeguards on the Space Coast, and the first major retailer to carry it was Ron Jon Surf Shop, also in Cocoa Beach. By 2012 it had spread to Urban Outfitters, Target, and surf shops up and down the East Coast. SC Johnson acquired the company in 2019 for a reported $400 million, though SC Johnson never confirmed the number. The Cocoa Beach office is still open.
The mascot is a gorilla named Sonny, which you will recognize from every shelf in our stores. The nonprofit arm, Protect The Groms, builds permanent shade structures at elementary schools. All of this is worth knowing because it tells you what Sun Bum actually is: a beach brand that started at a beach, made by people who needed sunscreen that worked in the Florida sun. It did not start in a lab or a boardroom.
Sunscreen: the two lines and why it matters
Sun Bum sells two sunscreen lines that look similar on the shelf but use different chemistry. In South Florida, the difference matters more than it does most places, so here is the breakdown.
Original (chemical filters)
The Original line uses chemical UV absorbers: avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, and octocrylene. These soak into the top layer of your skin and absorb UV light before it does damage. The practical upside is a lighter feel and no white cast. Available in SPF 15, 30, 50, and 70, in lotion, spray, roll-on, and face-specific formats. The SPF 50 lotion is the one most people grab. We have 43 units of the 3oz travel size and 79 units of the 8oz.
Mineral (zinc oxide)
The Mineral line uses zinc oxide (and sometimes titanium dioxide) to sit on top of the skin and physically block UV rays rather than absorbing them. It can leave a white cast, and some people find it thicker to spread. Available in SPF 30 and 50. This is the line to use near a reef.
The reef question
South Florida sits on the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States, running from Key Biscayne to the Dry Tortugas. What you put on your skin before you get in that water matters.
All Sun Bum sunscreens are Hawaii Act 104 compliant, meaning they contain no oxybenzone or octinoxate, the two ingredients Hawaii banned in 2021. That is the legal standard. But "reef safe" is not a regulated term, and the actual picture is more complicated than the label suggests.
In May 2025, Sun Bum paid $300,000 to settle with the Santa Clara County District Attorney's office and agreed to stop advertising its chemical sunscreens as "reef friendly." It was the first prosecution of its kind against a major sunscreen manufacturer. The Original line still contains chemical filters that some marine researchers flag for coral impact. Independent review sites like DiveIn.com do not recommend the Original formula for reef environments.
We are not marine biologists. But we can tell you what the data says. Use the Mineral line for snorkeling, diving, or any time you are directly above coral. Use the Original line for beach days, surf sessions, and general outdoor time where you are not sitting on top of a reef. Both protect your skin. The mineral is the more defensible choice for the water. If you want a dedicated reef-safe mineral sunscreen, we also carry Freaks of Nature, Kelly Slater's 100% mineral suncare line.
Which SPF to grab
| Activity | SPF | Product | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quick errand, under 30 min | 30 | Original SPF 30 Lotion, 8oz | $16.99 |
| Beach day, 2+ hours | 50 | Original SPF 50 Lotion, 8oz | $17.99 |
| Surf session | 50 face + 50 body | SPF 50 Face Lotion + SPF 50 Spray | $14.99 + $17.99 |
| All day on the water | 50-70 | Original SPF 70 Lotion, 8oz | $17.99 |
| Snorkeling or diving | 50 Mineral | Mineral SPF 50 Lotion | $17.99 |
| Kids | 50 | Baby Bum SPF 50 Mineral Lotion | $13.99 |
Every Sun Bum sunscreen is rated for 80 minutes of water resistance, which is the FDA maximum a sunscreen can claim. Reapply every two hours regardless, and immediately after swimming or toweling off. That is not a Sun Bum recommendation, that is the Skin Cancer Foundation's.
The Beach Umbrella
The Sun Bum Beach Umbrella is the most searched Sun Bum product on our site by a wide margin. It has a UPF 50+ canopy, a lightweight rust-free aluminum pole with a pointed end for anchoring in sand, and a three-direction adjustable metal tilt so you can follow the shade as the sun moves. It comes with a carry bag. The price is $49.99 and we have 18 in stock.
UPF 50+ means the fabric blocks at least 98% of UV radiation. Paired with the sunscreen, you have two layers of protection: one on your skin and one over your head. For anyone spending a full day at the beach with kids, or posted up for a fishing tournament weigh-in, or just done pretending they enjoy sitting in direct Florida sun for four hours, the umbrella is worth the $50.
Lip balm at $3.99
Sun Bum SPF 30 lip balms are $3.99 each and we have over 500 units across six flavors: Coconut, Watermelon, Mango, Banana, Pomegranate, and Key Lime. They are the easiest Sun Bum purchase and the product most people forget they need until their lips are already cracked and peeling.
The CocoBalm line (also $3.99, five flavors) is the moisturizing counterpart without SPF, designed for after-sun lip recovery rather than protection during exposure.
At $3.99, keep one in the car, one in the tackle box, and one in the beach bag. Your lips do not produce melanin the way the rest of your skin does, which means they burn faster and recover slower.
After sun
Sun Bum's Cool Down line is aloe-based after-sun care for when you stayed out longer than you should have. The Cool Down Gel and the Cool Down Spray are the two main products. We have 72 units of the gel and 64 of the spray. The idea is to apply it immediately after sun exposure to cool the skin down and start moisture recovery before the peel starts.
This is the product people buy reactively, usually with a wince. Worth buying proactively the same trip you grab the sunscreen.
Hair care
This is the part of the Sun Bum lineup that most people walk past. If you surf, paddleboard, fish, or spend hours in the salt and sun, your hair takes cumulative UV and salt damage that a regular shampoo does not address.
Sun Bum makes a Revitalizing Shampoo and Conditioner (coconut oil, banana extract, sunflower seed oil, SLS-free and color-safe), a Beach Formula Sea Spray for salt-water texture without the actual salt damage, a 3-in-1 Leave-In Conditioner, a Dry Shampoo, and an SPF 30 Scalp and Hair Mist that protects your part line from burning. The Blonde Hair Lightener uses pineapple and honey to brighten hair naturally in the sun, which is a more controlled version of what the ocean is already doing to your hair for free.
We carry eight hair care products with 168 units in stock. The Revitalizing Shampoo and Conditioner run around $10-$15 each.
Beach day extras
Sun Bum also makes the items that round out a beach bag:
- Air Fresheners ($4.99): the Dice and the hanging style, in the coconut scent that people come back specifically for. We have 168 units, which sounds like a lot until summer hits.
- Sonny Beach Towel ($34.99): the gorilla mascot on a full-size towel. 19 in stock.
- Beach Football, Frisbee, and Paddleball: branded beach toys that are better made than the gas station versions and priced under $15.
What Sun Bum does and does not claim
| Claim | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Cruelty-free | Yes, Leaping Bunny + PETA certified (independently verified, including supply chain) | leapingbunny.org, PETA |
| Vegan | Not all products. Check individual labels. | Sun Bum FAQ |
| Hawaii Act 104 compliant | Yes, all sunscreens (no oxybenzone, no octinoxate) | sunbum.com |
| 80-minute water resistance | Yes (FDA maximum claim) | Product labels |
| "Reef safe" or "reef friendly" | Sun Bum agreed to stop using these terms on chemical sunscreens (2025 settlement) | Santa Clara County DA, May 2025 |
| Parent company cruelty-free | No. SC Johnson does not hold cruelty-free certifications. | Ethical Elephant |
We are listing this because the certifications matter to enough of our customers that they deserve straight answers, not marketing language. Sun Bum holds its own cruelty-free certifications independently from its parent company. The reef claim is more nuanced than any single label can capture. The table above is what we can verify.
Where to find it
We carry over 70 Sun Bum products at all four stores:
- Island Water Sports, Deerfield Beach (our flagship since 1978)
- Boca Surf and Sail, Boca Raton
- Island Water Sports, Delray Beach
- Island Water Sports, Pompano Beach
Or shop the full Sun Bum lineup online. Orders over $50 ship free per our shipping policy. Call 954-427-4929 if you want to check stock before you come in. Hours and directions for all four stores are on the locations page.
For more of our sun and beach gear: browse all sunscreen and sun care, our Freaks of Nature guide (Kelly Slater's mineral suncare), and the beach gear collection. Island Water Sports has been outfitting South Florida for the sun since 1978.
Product details, SPF ratings, certifications, and ingredient information are from Sun Bum's own product pages and FAQ, verified October 2026. The 2025 reef-safe settlement is a matter of public record via the Santa Clara County District Attorney's office. Prices reflect current Island Water Sports pricing and may change.
