Our Story
Our Story
Hi — I’m Zack, the founder of Sonochi. I’ve been swimming since I was seven years old, from competitive high school swimming in Florida to racing at the NCAA DIII level in college. Swimming shaped who I am, but there was always one downside that every swimmer knows too well: dry, itchy skin, damaged hair, and that chlorine smell that never really goes away. I tried every swimmer skin care brand, clean brand, and high-end skincare line I could find. Some removed chlorine but used harsh chemicals. Others were natural but couldn’t get rid of chlorine at all. Nothing did both — and that’s when I realized swimmers deserved better.
Where it all changed
A couple of years ago, I hit a breaking point. My skin was constantly irritated, my hair was wrecked, and I even started swimming less just to avoid chlorine. Then I went to Japan for a year abroad — and everything shifted. I was introduced to skincare and haircare made with incredibly high-quality, gentle ingredients, and within weeks my skin and hair felt better than they had in years. When I slowly started swimming more, the damage wasn’t nearly as bad as before — as long as I followed up with a good routine using those better products. That’s when it clicked: clean ingredients truly worked, but they were missing one key piece — real chlorine removal. I didn’t want to choose between natural formulas and performance. I wanted both.
Built for life in the water
That idea became Sonochi. Using the best of Japanese ingredient quality and endless testing with real swimmers, I worked with manufacturers to create products that gently remove chlorine while deeply repairing and hydrating skin and hair. We landed on powerful botanicals like peach leaf extract for chlorine removal, paired with moisturizing ingredients like honey and yuzu to restore what the pool takes away. Sonochi means “the first one” — inspired by touching the wall first — and “of the earth,” representing clean ingredients that actually work. Because being a swimmer shouldn’t mean dry skin, damaged hair, or smelling like chlorine all day. Sonochi exists so swimmers can train hard, rinse off better, and feel confident every single day.