Make A Difference: Start With Your Sunscreen
Surf Durt is a woman-owned sunscreen biz that is challenging consumers and the sunscreen industry to “do better”.
Maxine and Nikki, the founders of Surf Durt, are reimagining sunscreen. For so long, shelves have been stocked with reef-damaging sun protection filled with harmful chemicals for both the earth and our bodies. The founders of Surf Durt, both surfers themselves, decided there needed to be another option. So, they created one.
We sat down with the inspiring founders of Surf Durt to hear about how they got their start, about their recent relaunch, the mission of the company, and how COVID has impacted their business. Read more below ↓
Max and Nikki work out of San Diego and manufacturer their sunscreen in North County, California. The pair met in high school when they were both working at the same restaurant after school. They reconnected later when they both were living in sailboats (we know, they’re really freaking cool) in San Diego. Nikki encouraged Maxine to turn her homemade sunscreen into a full-time biz and now, that was 3.5 years ago.
Okay, so how did it all start? Where’d you get the idea for Surf Durt?
Maxine: It was an interesting trifecta of serendipitous circumstance. My grandmother is an environmental lawyer from Hawaii, the first place to ban some of the most toxic chemicals in sunscreen. This connection made me privy to the problem of chemical sunscreen expediting coral reef decline, my dad was also introducing me to surfing and he happens to be a PHD chemist. We started making the stuff ourselves in the kitchen so that we wouldn’t be contributing to the problem. Then I met Nikki and she helped me realize in order to really be a part of the solution, we’d have to finesse our homemade goop and take it to market. It’s been off to the races since.
Can anyone use SurfDurt or is it mainly for surfers?
Maxine: Our most obvious customer is surfers because surfers are used to the thicker, earthy-paste-like texture of a truly mineral, zinc based sunscreen. However, if this solution stands a chance at doing any good for our planet more people have to make this switch. So really, SurfDurt is sun protection that’s surfer approved - watermen know better than anyone how powerful the sun’s rays really are - but SurfDurt is for everyone. Everyone who adventures outdoors and hopes to preserve the opportunity to do so. No matter where you wear your sunscreen, it ends up in our waterways and oceans when you shower. I guess if you choose never to shower, that’s pretty sustainable too ;) but if not your sunscreen choice does affect the ocean ecosystem.
“We need to make these solutions mainstream and hold companies accountable to mean what their claims say. There’s so much greenwashing now. Many companies have started to call themselves “reef-safe” simply because they omit one or two of the worst toxic chemicals while keeping in a long list of other pollutants. This is so misleading for consumers that are trying to do the right thing. “
How has the pandemic impacted yours small business?
We had a really tough year. We were doing pretty well as a company last year and then our revenue slashed in half when all our shops closed. It’s hard to run a small business and it's especially hard to scale one while staying true to your ethos of sustainability. Then you add in a pandemic, progress that pays off then crumbles, you can imagine our motivation as team took a nosedive with it. Then we entered this insane climate of civil and humanitarian heartbreak and unrest and we just felt distracted honestly. Our voice in the fight has always been coral reef decline and during this cultural reckoning we really felt compelled to lend our voice to other causes and this feels like one of the most impactful things you can do, to support others in their mission so that they’re enabled too.
Tell us about your recent relaunch.
We’re very excited to add another element to the concept of “voting with your dollars”, a foundation we’ve believed in immensely since day one! Now on our website you can buy different colored containers of SurfDurt that each contribute back to an amazing non-profit that either fights climate change or uplifts diversity. We’re so excited about these new partnerships - we carefully vetted each of these organizations to make sure we were supporting a more sustainable system, meaning your contributions through Surfdurt give back for years to come. Of course you can always still buy through one of our many stockists and in this way you’re voting to support another small business person’s dream. We’re big on the idea that rising tides raise all ships, and we truly hope that our little company can grow through this promise to uplift others as we go.
What’s bringing you joy right now at the end of 2020?
Possibility, the outdoors, sunsets, family, friends, camping, puppies. It’s still hard but we see more reason than ever to maintain hope. Hope is a renewable energy too :)
Surf Durt is an advertiser in Issue 002: Southern Utah.
