Written By: Colin Boyd
I don’t know what happens when kids come along, but all of a sudden I’ve found myself reading the ingredients list on EVERYTHING. Maybe it’s my attempt to control the uncontrollable, but I can’t help but steer my purchases away from the mass produced garbage that lines the rows of grocery stores and everyone’s favorite box store.
This has become second nature for the food we consume as a family, but surprisingly, I’ve found myself drilling down into the body care products that we choose to have in our life. Since we live full time on the road we are often showering or doing dishes outdoors so ensure all of our soaps are organic to limit our impact on the natural environment while also being better for the little bodies in our family.
When I learned about the impact of sunscreen on reefs, we realized we had to expand our horizon on the products we considered to have a negative impact. With Sea & Summit, I know I can get all day protection on my kiddos without seeing the grease slick off into the beautiful ocean or river that we call home for a day or a week.
For example, this winter in Baja Sur, we snorkeled in Cabo Pulmo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of just three coral reefs in North America estimated to be 20,000 years old. For most that blow in and out, there is no visible impact of their stay - yet the human impact in these pristine places is not invisible and as full time travelers, we take our stewardship role seriously. Whether it’s remnant toilet paper in a convenient bush close to a high traffic remote vista or the sunscreen grease in tidal pools, our choices matter.
For this reason alone, it’s an easy decision to choose to use Sea & Summit products on our family. Together we talk about our impact, we talk about the products we bring into our life and how to protect our most valuable asset - our personal health and that of our planet. Kids get it and they learn to guide parental decisions because it’s easy to make the right decision when looking at the world through their eyes.