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SCPR, Katherine Butler | Aug 24, 2011

We are lucky enough to live in a land where the sun makes frequent appearances in our day-to-day life. After all, sunlight contains the all-essential Vitamin D, which our bodies use to promote bone growth and immune function. But there’s a fine line between healthy and dangerous amounts of sun, which can lead to melanoma and more.

 

Meet Chris Birchby, who alongside wife Kristian founded COOLA organic sun care in 2002. The Birchbys, longtime residents of L.A., now run the company from their home in northern San Diego County. Inspired by melanoma scares on both sides of their families, they offer a safer sun care solution to those wanting to avoid the excessive chemicals in traditional sun care products. 

 

Recently, we spoke with Birchby about COOLA and community outreach.

 

COOLA products are known to contain 95 percent natural and 70 percent certified organic ingredients. How does the company further its green commitment?

 

We are very proud that our California manufacturing facility is solar powered. Furthermore, everything we produce we try to keep as locally sourced as possible. An incredible amount of waste is generated when shipping components and product around. We do as much as we can to reduce our footprint, whether that means utilizing FSC certified paper, wind power, and collapsible sample packaging that uses 93% less plastic than similar sized bottles and tubes.

 

How does COOLA give back to the community?

 

We support over a dozen groups regularly, including yearly monetary donations to both the American Cancer Society and SaveOurSeas.org. From the end of August to Sept. 30 we are collaborating on a social media campaign with the Melanoma Research Alliance and donating money to them as well. In addition, this year we’ve contributed towards the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Race to Erase MS, The Humane Society in Pasadena, and the Melanoma Education Foundation among others.

 

Last May, we donated approximately $50,000 worth of sunscreen to the Mississippi flood clean-up volunteers.  Doctors were treating second-degree burns every day. Despite our small size, we felt we made a difference. 

Who do you admire most in the green movement right now?

 

Horst Rechelbacher, founder of Intelligent Nutrients and Aveda. He was able to bring plant-based cosmetics to the average consumer. He has continued to evolve and always seems to be looking for new ways to innovate instead of resting on his accomplishments.

 

When did you first know you were an environmentalist?

 

My wife Kristian grew up on a small farm in Nova Scotia. She really showed me how much more I could be doing. Our current compost pile is about 20 feet long and three feet tall.

 

If you could ask a potential presidential candidate one question about the environment, who would you ask and what would the question be?

 

I would ask Ron Paul why clean energy could not be subsidized as a matter of national security.

 

It’s Al Gore and you in a cage match. Who would win?

 

My wife.

 

You can learn more about Birchby and safer sunscreen here. 

 

Photo courtesy of Chris Birchby.