I am absolutely inspired by Tricia Timble, president and founder of Suntegrity Skincare. Suntegrity was a game changer for me – Tricia’s products are absolutely stunning from packaging to application. She proves again and again that green is also glamorous! I hope you enjoy our interview!
SU: What inspired you to create a sunscreen line?
TT: I’ve always been big into personal development. After 9 years of being a recruiter for accounting and finance professionals, I started to feel bored in my career and I didn’t feel like I was really “living my life with passion.” I knew I needed to change careers and do something that called more to my heart, but, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do instead of recruiting. So, I sold my shares of the recruiting company that I was part owner in and decided to go back to school and take classes in what interested me. I took various classes in natural health, skincare, massage, yoga and psychology, and got my California Esthetician License and a Master’s Degree in Spiritual Psychology with an Emphasis in Consciousness, Health, and Healing from the University of Santa Monica.
As part of the Masters program, we were able to choose a heartfelt project and mine was to develop a natural sun care line in honor of my Mom who passed away from skin cancer. Suntegrity was really a healing of grief project for me. A way to turn a negative experience into something positive – turning lemons into lemonade, as I like to say. Each bottle/tube of Suntegrity has the following quote on it, “Suntegrity was made in honor of my Mom and all of those who lost their lives to skin cancer. May you wear this sunscreen and smile in their memory.”
SU: How did you get started?
TT: I attended the Academy of Beauty in Culver City and got my California Esthetician License, as well as took several advanced skincare courses at various skincare facilities and took cosmetic chemistry courses at UCLA Extension. I met a chemist who became my mentor and introduced me to the lab I worked with to create the first Suntegrity products. When developing the line, I checked ingredients against the EWG Cosmetic Safety Database with the goal of only using safe ingredients in the line. Once I had my first two products developed, I submitted them to the EWG sunscreen guide and started cold calling boutiques and spas across the US on a daily basis. I landed my first accounts and received a 1 rating in the EWG Sunscreen Guide and slowly developed more accounts week after week.
SU: At what point did you know that your idea was going to succeed?
TT: When our sunscreens scored a 1 on the EWG sunscreen guide.
SU: Did you have a mentor?
TT: Yes, I was at a coaching seminar and synchronistically met a wonderful man who not only was a life coach, but was also a chemist. He is the one offered me advice and helped me get started.
SU: What makes your products different from other brands out there?
TT: All of our sunscreens received a 1 rating on the EWG 2015 Sunscreen Guide showing they are safe and effective. We use 20% non-nano size zinc-oxide as our only active sunscreen ingredient and we combine it with other amazing ingredients and antioxidants such as aloe vera, astaxanthin, red algae, green tea, pomegranate, and cucumber extract. Both our face sunscreen/primer and our body sunscreen have a refreshing and uplifting citrus scent and our tinted face sunscreens are unscented. All of our products are packaged in beautiful silver and orange packaging, making them appealing to both women and men.
SU: What are the 3 most important ingredients to avoid in sunscreen?
TT: Oxybenzone, Octinoxate (AKA: Octylmethoxycinnamate), and Retinyl palmitate
SU: Are you a risk-taker?
TT: I would say I’m a calculated risk-taker. I was a CPA in my first career, so I do like to “run the numbers” on the options before making a decision to move-forward. However, I would say I take risks and make final decisions based on my intuition.
SU: What is your morning routine?
TT: I usually listen to a YouTube video of Abraham Hicks – Law of Attraction while I get ready (brush my teeth, wash my face, shower, apply body oil and then spritz my face with toner, and apply a face serum and the Light Tinted Suntegrity Face Sunscreen).
I eat a light breakfast – usually an avocado, yogurt, raspberries/blackberries, and coffee and then put on my makeup (mineral blush, mineral eye shadow, eye liner and mascara and one of the Suntegrity SPF lipstick prototypes which will be launching in November 2015 – a full line of Broad Spectrum SPF 30 lipsticks made with zinc-oxide).
Then I dry and flat iron my hair, get dressed and call my best friend Vanessa while I drive to the office.
Some mornings I also go to the gym before work, but usually I like to work out after work.
SU: If you could take 2 beauty items (not sunscreen!!) to a desert island (that you’re going to be stuck on for a year) what would they be?
TT: I would of course bring my Suntegrity 5 in 1 Tinted Face Sunscreen in Light, but if I couldn’t bring that, I would choose – Dr. Spiller Mild Foaming Cleanser and Dr. Spiller Exclusive Renewal Complex
SU: Imagine that money is no object (that you’ve just won billions in the lottery), which charity/cause would you donate to?
TT: This is a tough question as there are so many wonderful charities and causes out there. I currently donate to Our House Grief Support Center so I would donate more to them, as I feel they offer much needed support services to children and adults who have lost a loved one and need a safe place to talk about the emotions they are experiencing. I would also donate to the Freedom to Choose Prison Project started by USM, and organizations that help empower and inspire people to achieve their dreams.
SU: What do you hope to be doing 5 years from now?
TT: I hope to have expanded the product line, as well as distribution. My goal is to be travelling around the world launching Suntegrity into top hotels, resorts, and boutiques.
SU: What is your all-time favorite quote?
TT: “Never let go of your dream because all things are possible.” – Abraham Hicks
