Hawaiian Tropic is an American sun-care brand best known for its sunscreens, tanning lotions, after-sun products, and tropical-themed skin-care items. Founded in 1969, the brand built its identity around enjoying the sun while combining protection with a distinctly tropical, sensorial experience.[1] Today, Hawaiian Tropic is part of Edgewell Personal Care, whose portfolio also includes Banana Boat, Schick, Wilkinson Sword, and other personal-care brands.[1]

Origins: 1969

Hawaiian Tropic was established in 1969 by Ron Rice, an entrepreneur who became closely associated with the American tanning and sun-care industry.[2] Rice initially experimented with formulations himself, reportedly mixing ingredients in a garbage can in his garage and using a $500 loan from his father to start the business.[2] He began selling his products in foil-labeled bottles.[2]

The brand name stemmed from Rice’s desire for a tropical-sounding identity. His preferred name, Tropic Tan, was already taken, so he settled on Hawaiian Tropic.[2] The concept was distinctive for its time; rather than presenting suntan lotion purely as a functional product, Hawaiian Tropic connected it with beauty, vacation, beaches, tropical scents, and the lifestyle surrounding sun exposure.

Growth of the Brand

During the following decades, Hawaiian Tropic grew into a major American sun-care company. It became particularly associated with the tanning culture of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, developing a recognizable visual and olfactory identity centred on tropical imagery.

The brand eventually became one of the largest privately held sun-care manufacturers in the United States. By the time of its acquisition by Playtex, Hawaiian Tropic was already an established national brand, with company disclosures reporting approximately $112 million in sales for 2006.

Acquisition by Playtex — 2007

A major turning point occurred in 2007 when Playtex Products acquired Hawaiian Tropic. This acquisition brought Hawaiian Tropic together with Playtex’s existing sun-care brand, Banana Boat. At the time, Playtex described Hawaiian Tropic as the No. 4-selling sun-care brand in the United States. This created a significant sun-care portfolio, with Banana Boat positioned alongside Hawaiian Tropic.

Energizer Era

Later in 2007, Energizer Holdings acquired Playtex Products in a transaction valued at approximately $1.9 billion. Hawaiian Tropic therefore became part of Energizer’s personal-care portfolio indirectly through Playtex. This marked a significant corporate transition as Hawaiian Tropic moved from being an independent founder-led business into increasingly larger consumer-goods organisations.

Edgewell Personal Care

In 2015, Energizer separated its personal-care business into a new publicly traded company called Edgewell Personal Care. Hawaiian Tropic became one of Edgewell’s principal sun-care brands alongside Banana Boat, and Edgewell officially lists Hawaiian Tropic among its portfolio of established personal-care brands.[1][3]

The ownership path can be summarised as: Ron Rice / Hawaiian Tropic → Playtex Products (2007) → Energizer Holdings → Edgewell Personal Care (2015–present).[1][3]

Hawaiian Tropic’s most significant achievement was arguably turning sun care into a lifestyle brand. The brand traditionally emphasises:

• 🌴 Tropical environments
• ☀️ Sunshine and outdoor activities
• 🥥 Coconut and other tropical fragrances
• 🏖️ Beach and vacation imagery
• ✨ Tanning and glowing-looking skin
• 💧 Moisturisation and skin feel
• 🧴 Sun protection
• 🌺 Exotic botanical ingredients

Its current positioning describes the products as lightweight and hydrating while providing broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection, retaining its characteristic fragrance and tropical identity.[3] This gives Hawaiian Tropic a different personality from purely clinical sunscreen brands, as it has historically aimed to make sunscreen feel like part of the pleasure and ritual of being outdoors rather than simply a medical necessity.

Hawaiian Tropic has expanded considerably beyond its original tanning-lotion roots.

Sunscreens

Sunscreen is now the core of the brand. Products are designed around varying SPF levels and formats, including lotions and other application methods. The brand describes its current sun-care products as providing broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection.[3]

Tanning Products

Tanning remains an important part of Hawaiian Tropic’s heritage, as the company historically became strongly associated with suntan lotions and the desire for a bronzed appearance. The modern portfolio also includes sunless-tanning products, allowing the brand to retain its tanning heritage without requiring actual UV exposure. Edgewell has described the portfolio as including sunscreen, sunless tanning, after-sun, sport, and lip products.

After-Sun Care

The brand offers products designed for use after spending time in the sun, continuing its positioning around a complete before, during, and after sun-care routine.

Lip and Specialty Sun Care

Hawaiian Tropic has also developed products for areas such as the lips and for specialised outdoor or sport use.

One of Hawaiian Tropic’s most recognisable characteristics is its tropical scent. The brand has traditionally incorporated ingredients and fragrance associations such as coconut, mango, guava, aloe, and other tropical botanical-inspired ingredients. Its UK brand materials, for example, specifically highlight coconut oil, mango, and guava as part of the brand’s sensorial identity.[4]

From a branding perspective, fragrance is part of the product experience rather than merely an incidental characteristic. Consumers often recognise Hawaiian Tropic by its distinctive tropical aroma, which reinforces associations with beaches, holidays, and warm weather.

Hawaiian Tropic became famous for marketing that connected sun, beauty, and glamour. Historically, the brand’s advertising was strongly associated with bikini and beach imagery, tanned skin, attractive models, tropical destinations, summer lifestyles, beauty, sensuality, and vacation culture. This helped differentiate Hawaiian Tropic from more utilitarian sunscreen brands.

The brand has described its mission in terms of helping consumers embrace the transformative effects of the sun and enhancing the appearance and feel of skin.[5] This positioning explains why Hawaiian Tropic has historically occupied an unusual space between cosmetics and sun protection.

The history of Hawaiian Tropic is closely intertwined with the popularity of tanning in the late 20th century. For decades, having a bronzed complexion was heavily marketed as a symbol of health, leisure, wealth, travel, youth, and beauty, and Hawaiian Tropic benefited enormously from that cultural trend.

However, modern understanding of ultraviolet radiation has changed the conversation around tanning. Excessive UV exposure can cause skin damage and increase skin-cancer risk, meaning modern sun-care marketing places much greater emphasis on UV protection than traditional tanning advertising did. Consequently, contemporary Hawaiian Tropic has increasingly emphasised SPF, broad-spectrum protection, hydration, and skin care while retaining the tropical lifestyle identity that made the brand famous.[3]

Today, Hawaiian Tropic sits at the intersection of three categories:

1. Sun protection: The functional side involving SPF and UVA/UVB protection.
2. Skin care: Hydration, skin feel, moisturising ingredients, and after-sun care.
3. Lifestyle/beauty: Tropical fragrance, glowing-looking skin, and the emotional appeal of summer and vacations.

This combination is central to its differentiation. Edgewell describes the brand as offering “indulgent sun protection,” reflecting the idea that sunscreen can be both protective and pleasurable to use.

One of Hawaiian Tropic’s most significant corporate relationships is with Banana Boat, another major sun-care brand owned by Edgewell. The two brands occupy related but somewhat different positions:

Both compete in the same broad sun-care market, but their distinct personalities allow Edgewell to address different consumer preferences.

As of 2026, Hawaiian Tropic remains part of Edgewell Personal Care.[1][3] Edgewell identifies Hawaiian Tropic as one of its established global brands and operates a portfolio spanning sun care, skin care, shaving, and other personal-care categories.[1][3] Edgewell operates across more than 50 markets, giving Hawaiian Tropic access to an international distribution and marketing infrastructure.

Although Hawaiian Tropic originated in the United States, its identity is deliberately international. The idea of “Hawaiian” tropical living is used as a global lifestyle proposition rather than simply a geographic market identity. The brand is sold in multiple international markets with localised product ranges and websites. Its European materials, for example, emphasise tropical ingredients, high UVA/UVB protection, and sustainability considerations in packaging.[4]

Like many contemporary personal-care brands, Hawaiian Tropic and its parent company have increasingly addressed packaging and environmental considerations. The brand’s UK materials state that it is working to reduce packaging materials, increase recycled and recyclable materials, and consider the environmental impact of ingredients and packaging decisions.[4] These initiatives reflect a broader change in the sun-care industry, where consumers increasingly consider not only skin protection but also the environmental impact of packaging and formulations.

Ron Rice (1941–2022) was the entrepreneur behind Hawaiian Tropic.[2] He became known as the “Suntan King” because of the enormous success of Hawaiian Tropic and his influence on the American tanning-lotion industry.[2] Rice died in 2022 at the age of 81.[2] His entrepreneurial story is notable because Hawaiian Tropic began as a relatively small, garage-based operation and eventually became a major international consumer brand.[2] His legacy is closely tied to the transformation of suntan lotion from a mundane commodity into a highly recognisable lifestyle and beauty category.

Several factors explain the brand’s longevity:

Strong Sensory Identity

The tropical fragrance makes the product immediately recognisable and associates it with vacations and beaches.

Lifestyle Marketing

Rather than advertising only SPF, Hawaiian Tropic historically sold an aspiration: being outdoors, looking good, and enjoying summer.

Distinctive Branding

The name itself communicates Hawaii, warmth, and tropical environments.

Early Association with Tanning

The brand emerged when tanning was becoming an important part of Western beauty culture, providing a large potential market.

Product Diversification

Hawaiian Tropic expanded from tanning lotion into sunscreen, after-sun care, sunless tanning, lip protection, and specialised sun-care products.

Corporate Scale

Acquisition by Playtex, followed by Energizer and ultimately Edgewell, provided access to larger distribution networks, research capabilities, and international markets. Edgewell states its portfolio reaches more than 50 markets.

Hawaiian Tropic is an example of how consumer brands can transform an everyday functional product into an emotional lifestyle experience. Before brands like Hawaiian Tropic became prominent, suntan lotion was largely marketed as a basic summer product. Hawaiian Tropic helped connect sun care with beauty, tanning, fragrance, tropical travel, leisure, and the summer lifestyle. That formula became particularly influential in the beauty and personal-care industries.

At the same time, the brand’s history illustrates how consumer attitudes have changed. The older cultural emphasis on getting a deep tan has increasingly been replaced by a focus on protecting skin from UV exposure while maintaining the aesthetic and sensory associations of summer.

Hawaiian Tropic can be characterised as a premium-feeling, lifestyle-oriented mass-market sun-care brand. Its competitors and neighbouring brands include major sunscreen companies such as Banana Boat, Coppertone, Neutrogena, Nivea Sun, Australian Gold, and Sun Bum. Hawaiian Tropic’s strongest point of differentiation is its combination of sun protection, tropical fragrance, beauty and tanning heritage, and vacation lifestyle.

• 1969 — Ron Rice establishes Hawaiian Tropic.[2]
• 1970s–1990s — The brand expands and becomes strongly associated with tanning, beauty, and beach culture.
• 2006 — Hawaiian Tropic records approximately $112 million in sales.
• 2007 — Playtex acquires Hawaiian Tropic.
• 2007 — Energizer announces its acquisition of Playtex, bringing Hawaiian Tropic into the Energizer personal-care portfolio.
• 2010 — Edgewell leadership later describes a major global relaunch of Hawaiian Tropic.[3]
• 2015 — Edgewell Personal Care becomes an independent publicly traded company, with Hawaiian Tropic among its sun-care brands.[1][3]
• 2022 — Hawaiian Tropic founder Ron Rice dies at 81.[2]
• 2026 — Hawaiian Tropic remains part of Edgewell Personal Care’s global sun- and skin-care portfolio.[1][3]

1. Hawaiian Tropic
2. Hawaiian Tropic founder Ron Rice dies; ‘Suntan King’ was 81 – The Washington Post
3. Hawaiian Tropic
4. Our Story – Hawaiian Tropic UK
5. Our Story – Hawaiian Tropic US