Couple Built $7M Sunscreen Empire From 60 Airbnb Rooms and a Cruise Cabin
KEY POINTS
- â˘Tricia Redulla and Max started the sunscreen company Sky and Sol in 2023 after Maxâs Mount Kilimanjaro hike highlighted sunscreen issues.
- â˘They developed their tallow-based product while traveling through Hawaii, England, Tokyo, Singapore, and more, selling about $7 million by 2024.
- â˘Their journey involved living in Airbnbs, co-living spaces, a budget cruise, and ended with a year in Puerto Rico for tax advantages.
In 2023, Tricia Redulla and boyfriend Max set out from their cozy Austin apartment to build a tallow-based sunscreen brand, Sky and Sol, while roaming 60 different spots worldwide. Maxâs Kilimanjaro hike revealed his tropical sunscreen woes, sparking their startup dream. They kicked off in Hawaii, ironically working '9 to 5' from touristy cafĂŠs while vacationing on savings. By 2024, they hauled in about $7 million in sales shipped via third-party logistics, with family photo updates on product samples courtesy of invisible shipping. They rode a budget transatlantic cruise from Miami to England, squeezing work into a tiny cabin and Starbucks breaks. Tokyo and Singapore stops involved obsessive sunscreen sampling and visa drama. After a year circumnavigating globeâincluding Icelandic wool soap escapades and Puerto Rico tax breaksâthey admit yearlong travel sucked but gave invaluable entrepreneurial lessons.
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(1 of 3)Who needs stability when you can build an millions-dollar sunscreen biz from cramped Airbnbs, boat cabins, visa nightmares, and wool-wrapped soap? Entrepreneurial hustle tastes like sunscreen on a cruise ship bathroom floor.
Making millions in sunscreen while living out of suitcases and Airbnbs sounds glamorous until you remember you canât smell the ocean over your laptop fan.
Turns out the secret to skincare success is 60 homes, questionable visa status, and testing sunblock wherever you can find daylight.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 4/13/2026 | Author: Kelly Burch
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