Hampton Sun has been the East End’s go-to suncare line for nearly 15 years. Founder and Southampton resident Salvatore Piazzolla explains the phenomenon — and gives us intel on the latest game-changing products in his arsenal.
Happy summer! What’s new at Hampton Sun?
We’re excited about the launch of our new products, and we’ve expanded our all-natural mineral sunscreen line: launching an SPF-30 Mineral Continuous Mist spray, an All-Natural Face Stick for Kids, and a Face Stick for Adults. Trends are always changing, which is why we have expanded the Mineral Collection, and our Continuous Mist line is now coral-reef safe. We are a lifestyle brand that offers something for every sunbather. What makes the Mineral Collection so exciting is that we are one of the first companies to offer this extraordinary new advanced vanishing zinc technology, which is silky soft on the skin without leaving any white residue. With our luxurious formulas and chic packaging, we wanted to bring this improved technology to the consumer to make it easier to apply and offer a more eco-friendly option for everyday use.
What are your most popular products?
The Continuous Mist sprays. People love the convenience of the package and the effectiveness. It dries down really sheer on the skin. Our other, most popular products are the mineral face creams. They have many anti-aging ingredients and lots of vitamin C. They can be applied for daily use underneath makeup and foundation.
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Tell us more about the kids line.
What’s nice about Hampton Sun is that it’s a brand for the entire family. You don’t have to go looking elsewhere for product for kids and babies. We reformulated our baby products with vanishing zinc, so they’re more advanced. It’s creamy, smooth, and hydrating on the skin.
And what about the Privet line?
We launched this home collection last spring, and it was a phenomenon out in the Hamptons. In it, we captured the scent of Privet Bloom, a white flower from the privet hedge that blooms in late June and early July. It’s intoxicating and pleasant. It makes a beautiful house gift.
How do you do your research?
We work with a world-renowned chemist who participated in a book about sunscreens and regulations. We’re working closely with people who have this knowledge, and we are informed about FDA rulings. We want to make sure we are the leader in the luxury suncare space by offering the most advanced ingredients out there. For example, we’re one of the first companies to offer the vanishing zinc. We saw this as an opportunity to accelerate and elevate the experience of Hampton Sun so that you want to wear it every day. That’s really our goal — to get the message to wear your sunscreen every single day.
Your website has a sunscreen quiz. What’s that about?
It gives the customer the opportunity to give us their feedback. It has really helped me understand what they’re looking for and what they’re thinking. We heard over and over that zinc had always been really unpleasant to wear on the skin because it has always been thick, heavy, and white, and so that’s why we did a lot of digging and research to find this vanishing zinc. It’s not offered to everybody, so we worked really long and hard to make sure we locked it down directly.
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Where are the products available in the Hamptons this summer?
White’s Apothecary in East Hampton; Hildreth’s Home Goods and Tenet in Southampton; Gurney’s in Montauk; Bluemercury in East Hampton and Southampton; and the Maidstone Club in East Hampton.
You have an award-winning sunless tanning mist.
It has won several awards — we really thrive on making sure we’re bringing the most advanced technology to the marketplace. It’s a phenomenal product with no-rub application for face and body. It hydrates, it’s natural, it’s the real deal. It’s suncare meets skincare.
How did you get into this field?
My background is in real estate; I’m entrepreneurial, always thinking about how to grow as a person. I came up with the idea in 2005, and I just kind of flipped out over it. I was fortunate that Michael Kors was the first person we released the idea to, and he thought it was brilliant and put us in the hands of some industry experts. From there, it evolved. I’m really passionate about bringing high-quality, high-technology sunscreen and formulas to the marketplace to wear every day.
This is such an important thing to spend money on.
Everybody is interested in anti-aging and protecting their skin and looking youthful, and suncare is a big part of it. Hampton Sun might be a little pricier than the average sunscreen, but it’s worth the money.
Who needs the needles!
Exactly! Avoid the Botox. Protect yourself with Hampton Sun. There are other brands out there, but they don’t offer the same quality and effectiveness with our natural ingredients. We brought glamour back to sunbathing.
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