Beauty Boss: PoolBar London's Head of Global Operations and Product Development, Lorraine Bondok, On the Brand's Playful Sun Care Products Created In London and Inspired By Palm Springs
Lorraine Bondok.
Our latest Beauty Boss is Lorraine Bondok, Head of Global Operations and Product Development of PoolBar London—a line of sun care products made in London and inspired by Palm Springs that add some glamour to your everyday routine.
From face to body, their high-quality SPF essentials offer everything you need for a day out in the sun while their chic packaging captures the essence of the popular desert getaway with its iconic striped sun umbrellas, curved swimming pools, and signature palm trees.
Escape to the Desert With the Best Palm Springs-Inspired Products
All of PoolBar London’s products are vegan, octinoxate-free, oxybenzone-free, paraben-free, and cruelty-free—they’re also environmentally-friendly with recyclable packaging. We chatted with Bondok who shared the inspiration behind the brand, secrets for success, best advice, and much more.
PoolBar London’s sun care products are created in London and inspired by Palm Springs.
When was PoolBar London founded and what does the name mean?
PoolBar was founded in London in 2023. PoolBar’s name evokes memories of being on vacation with your friends and family—whether it be Saturday on the beach or sipping a cocktail at the pool bar, we wanted a name that encapsulates everything fun about being in the sun, so PoolBar was founded.
What inspired the creation of the brand?
"PoolBar is created in London and inspired by Palm Springs!” So this is our destination inspiration; however, the team at PoolBar also wanted to evoke an emotional connection with our products.
Whilst we are a sun care brand, we wanted them to feel like they are a daily part of your life, something that people can reach for 365 days of the year. Being on vacation and enjoying the sun is glamorous, but also integrating sun safety into your daily routine year round is very important to us.
Glamour for us is ageless and timeless, much like Palm Springs, and that’s where the inspiration for the brand was born. With its retro glam, iconic signage and vibrant colours, this paved the foundation for our sun care ranges branding.
Each product has its own eye-catching and "insta-worthy" stripes and iconic typography reminiscent of the bygone era of Palm Springs with SPF protection you can trust infused with skin-loving antioxidants such as the powerful duo vitamin C and E to nourish and protect the skin further.
PoolBar London I Scream for Sunscreen Mineral SPF 50 Body Cream ($19.99) provides broad spectrum protection and is water-resistant for up to 80 minutes.
Do you have a hero product?
This is like choosing your favorite child or pet—of course we love them all equally, but if I had to choose one product, I would choose Not Just A Pretty Face Mineral Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Face Cream.
Visually it’s adorable with it’s very own iconic pink and white striped box and inside a 50ml cute matching striped tube providing high-protection SPF infused with skin-loving powerful antioxidants, vitamins C and E, and ceramides.
But that's not all, we went one step further: it also blocks 20% of the aging blue light emitted from your mobiles, computer screens, and TVs too. So as a “selfie-loving generation,” we wanted to provide more protection to help you stay glamorous and gorgeous!
One very proud moment was when I received amazing feedback from a well-known Hollywood makeup artist I met in Los Angeles; she used Not Just A Pretty Face on the faces of Hollywood’s elite for the 2025 Oscars Awards Ceremony and directly contacted me to tell me she loved it and how beautiful it was to use under makeup. So much so that she has continued to use it to date on some of L.A.’s most famous faces! How cool is that?
PoolBar London I Scream for Sunscreen Mineral SPF 30 Body Cream ($19.99) is powered by zinc oxide, hydrating cocoa butter, and antioxidant-rich vitamins C and E.
What’s your favorite product from the line?
Apart from Not Just A Pretty Face Mineral Face SPF 50, you have to protect your whole body and I just adore I Scream For Sunscreen Mineral SPF 30 and 50.
Both products have their iconic vibrant yellow and white or green and white stripes and a formula infused with antioxidants vitamins C and E, and cocoa butter to keep your skin soft and hydrated as well as protected from the UVA and UVB rays!
What’s more, they are 80 minutes water-resistant, vegan, reef-safe (Hawaii 106 Compliant Act), paraben and PEG-free, and cruelty-free. Oh, and did I mention the smell? The formulas envelope you in a fresh vanilla and coconut scent, it's the first thing everyone comments on when they first try them!
PoolBar London offers a range of SPF protection depending on your individual sun care needs.
Where are your products sold?
We are extremely proud to be stocked in the U.S. at the super giants CVS, Meijer, and online with Anthropologie, Amazon, and on our website.
Future plans for the brand?
We have some amazing innovation in the pipeline that we can’t wait to share with you all soon.
Who inspires you?
I see inspiration everywhere and from every walk of life. Whether it’s a musician’s determination to not follow the crowd and stand out from the rest, to people who struggle every day in the face of adversities but go on to achieve great success through sheer determination, it's inspired me to be the person I am today. I work hard, am kind, and always strive to push myself beyond what I think are my limits, forever learning and adapting to challenges and to solve them!
Secret to success?
Push yourself to your absolute limit then go beyond it—if it scares you, you are in the right place and mindset to achieve great things!
Best advice?
Be grateful for everything you have as it’s someone else’s dream to have what you do!
PoolBar London Sundowner Aftersun Body Lotion ($11.99) soothes sun-exposed skin with hyaluronic acid and features a pleasant coconut and vanilla scent.
Beauty secrets?
SPF!
Wellness tips?
Achieving work life balance is key—you need to switch off. It’s so important for your mental health to get the balance right. Life is way too short, so make that "bucket list” and start ticking them off and have adventures with friends and family.
How do you like to relax?
Long walks, off on my mountain bike somewhere I haven’t been before, meals with friends, listening to music (more often than not the artist Prince), spending time with my family, and traveling the world having adventures wearing my SPF, of course!
For more information about PoolBar London, visit their website and follow on Instagram: @poolbarlondon
[Photo credit: PoolBar London]
Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk