Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Jones.
Hi Brittany, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Before Coconut Smuggler, I was deep in the hustle of the hair world. I spent well over a decade behind the chair as a hairstylist, editorial artist, educator, and eventually salon owner ( I still do hair today!). I opened two successful salons in Colorado, was honored with multiple industry awards, and even had my work featured in national publications. I poured everything into building those businesses—long hours, endless hustle, and lotsss of dry shampoo.
But after years of that grind, something shifted. I started craving more alignment—less fluorescent lights, more golden hour. I wanted to create something that combined my passion for hair with my love of the ocean and natural living. That’s when Coconut Smuggler was born.
The brand is a love letter to salty air, ocean dips, and carefree beach days. I formulated our products specifically for ocean lovers—clean and effective, little solutions to protect your hair from sun, salt, and sea. It’s been a wild pivot from salon owner life to product-based business, but I finally feel like I’m building something that reflects all the things I care about most: freedom, creativity, and living wild, but staying natural.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not even close to smooth—more like a bumpy, dirt road with a few flat tires and a lot of character-building moments.
For years, I was deep in the hair industry, saying yes to everything—clients, editorial shoots, travel gigs, teaching, hustling nonstop. It was exciting, I had the time of my life, but also exhausting. Eventually, my body started waving the white flag—fatigue, anxiety, and other signs that something had to shift.
That pause—while uncomfortable—ended up being the push I needed to pivot. I took time to heal, get back to the basics, move to the Florida Keys and reconnect with what I actually loved: the ocean, clean beauty, and creating something fun and purposeful.
Coconut Smuggler came from that space. But building a brand from scratch is no joke—there’s been a lot of learning curves and late nights. Still, I’d take this kind of challenge over running on empty any day. I’m creating something that feels good on every level—and that’s the win.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Coconut Smuggler started as a daydream somewhere between our sailboat and a scuba dive.
I’ve always felt most like myself in the water—whether I’m diving, sailing, (learning to) surf, or just floating in the ocean until my fingers get pruney. Saltwater has always been my sanctuary. But as someone who spent years as a professional hairstylist and owner-I couldn’t ignore what the ocean was doing to my hair… or anyone else’s.
I started looking for clean, ocean-safe products that could actually protect hair in salt and sun—and couldn’t find anything that worked and felt fun. So, I decided to create it.
Coconut Smuggler is the result of combining two things I love deeply: taking care of hair and living in the water. Our products are made for the low-maintenance ocean lover—someone who wants fewer steps, better ingredients, and products that actually work with their salty lifestyle, not against it. That’s why most of our products multitask—designed to nourish both hair and skin, whether you’re mid-adventure or fresh out of the sea. We try not to “green wash”, we are just upfront with out choices- like chosing infinitely recyclable aluminum packaging instead of plastic, and using bamboo and glass. When a better way to do it comes along, we will be on top of it.
We’re not just a beauty brand—we’re a beach lifestyle brand built around nostalgia, clean ingredients, and that barefoot kind of freedom you can’t bottle (though we’ve sure tried).
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
One of my favorite childhood memories is spending time with my grandparents in Lake Havasu. We’d spend entire summers out on the water—boating, swimming, getting absolutely scorched, and living off a steady stream of red vines and fried chicken. It was pure, sun-drenched freedom. Looking back, I think that’s where my love for boats and water really began. That barefoot, windblown, wild-child energy never left me—I just turned it into a brand.
Pricing:
- all of our products are kept affordable for those that love travel more than stuff. ranging from $22-$30
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.coconutsmuggler.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/thecoconutsmuggler and www.instagram.com/brittanyjoneslife
Image Credits
JKAPROS PHOTOGRAPHY and Salty Coconut Social
