SOLBARI Winner of 2017 Healthy Skin Award

We are delighted to announce that SOLBARI won for the second year a Healthy Skin Award presented by The Skin & Cancer Foundation Inc.

We thank The Skin & Cancer Foundation Inc. for their ongoing support of SOLBARI and Galderma for sponsoring the Award.

The Healthy Skin Awards are presented by The Skin & Cancer Foundation Inc. to individuals and organisations "who strive for excellence through the effective provision of skin health services and the promotion of skin health."

Image below of some of Solbari's members (left to right): Mathieu Sampson with Co-Founders Johanna & Gareth Young.

Victorian dermatologists and prominent medical practitioners, business and community leaders, patients and supporters of the Foundation turned out in force to celebrate this great event.

Johanna and Gareth also wish to take this opportunity to congratulate the other four 2017 Healthy Skin Awardees:

• Johanna Young (Solbari) - for excellence in the promotion of skin health in the community
• Jo Mohan - for excellence in the promotion of skin health in the community.
• IRESS Ltd - for excellence in the promotion of skin health in the workplace.
• Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority - for excellence in the promotion of skin health in the workplace.
• Whitehorse City Council - for excellence in the promotion of skin health in the workplace.

Below is Johanna's acceptance speech:
I am truly honoured to receive this Award.

As I reflect on my journey at Solbari and the role that the Skin & Cancer Foundation has played over the years, it’s an important one.

I’ll share with you my story of how my relationship with the Skin & Cancer Foundation started.

Back in 2013, I’d just spent many months working with designers, fabric experts and traveled extensively to find the best fabric mills and factories. I had my first samples which passed the UPF50+ rating and I had a vision of what I wanted Solbari to become. A brand specialised in UPF50+ sun protection that would help Australians protect their skin from UV rays and help prevent skin cancer and melanoma.

The first Foundation that I contacted was the Skin & Cancer Foundation. My background is in finance, so it was all pretty intimidating to me when I picked up the phone and called the Skin & Cancer Foundation’s reception.

At that time, I was expecting that reception would take my name and number but I wasn’t sure if I would ever hear back from anyone.

Not at all… I called reception, was put through to Peter Monaghan, who then kindly invited me to come to the Foundation to have a chat and introduced me to Chris Arnold.

Both Chris and Peter showed a lot of interest about the brand, but more importantly they gave me confidence that my idea for Solbari could work.

They gave me valuable advice and helped me put together a plan of how we could work together. Since that meeting on the 18th of November 2013, the Skin & Cancer Foundation has invited me to numerous events, provided me with a stand at the Melanoma March to show Solbari products, to volunteer alongside them at Government House on Australia Day and more recently, they invited me at the ASM Conference in Sydney and generously introduced me to their network.

Since meeting Chris and Peter, Solbari is not such a small company any more. Our sales grew 1000% last year and we have customers in 45 countries. Our sales in the first 4 months this year surpassed the sales we had in 2016. I know that the Skin & Cancer Foundation’s help has been paramount in Solbari’s success.

To conclude, I would like to thank the following people for their ongoing help and support: Dr. Rosemary Nixon, Dr. John Kelly, Dr. Michelle Goh, Dr. Alvin Chong, Dr. Claire Higgings, Cara Kirwin, Leanne Sanderson and my husband Gareth, Chris Arnold and Peter Monaghan for believing in me and helping me make Solbari what it is today. Thank you.

If you would like to learn more about SOLBARI's UPF50+ sun protective products, please contact us directly by email at info@solbari.com.