It’s back to basics for Sol de Janeiro, which is returning to its original category after years of successful adjacencies.
The brand, which launched in 2015 with its now internet-famous Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, is debuting a new lotion in the same scent called Body Badalada Vitamin-Infused Lotion. It is debuting on the brand’s website and as a Sephora exclusive in June, and retails for $32.
Heela Yang, the brand’s founder and chief executive officer, said the move, like all of them from the brand, are part art, part science.
“That’s the million-dollar question — how do we know what to launch?” she said. “We’re staying so close to our consumers, they tell us what they want. Body mists were a great example of that. We don’t chase trends.”
The idea for a lighter answer to the brand’s body creams came about around five years ago, though the brand has been waiting to launch, she said. “People have been asking for a body lotion in a more casual, easy-to-wear everyday formula, but something that also makes your skin super soft,” she said. “This is super lightweight but very hydrating, easy to wear and it’s a pump format, which people have been asking for.”
Yang declined to comment on sales expectations for the lotion launch. According to parent company L’Occitane Group’s most recently released financial results for the 2024 fiscal year, the brand reached 686.1 million euros in net sales for the time period, a triple-digit increase from the year prior.
Although Yang has parlayed the brand’s success into hair and body mists, as well as a full suite of hair and body products, she posited that she doesn’t think about newness in terms of segments or categories.
“From Day One, our brand has always been about emotional connection. This brand started out with an emotional white space versus a product white space, so we’ve been laser-focused on that,” she said. “Every launch, every communication is about staying relevant, and how we can be more than a beauty company.”
The formula’s quality was just as important to Yang, though, and it features seven molecular weights of hyaluronic acid, Brazil nut oil and Brazilian sugarcane. She expects it to resonate with younger shoppers who have entered the brand via the perennially viral fragrance mists.
“It’s the perfect format for younger customers who have yet to maybe discover the necessity of a body lotion. Their skin is not yet as dry as an older consumer, but it’s a perfect way for us to teach a new gesture to take care of your body early on,” Yang said.
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