Sea & Summit is a line of products inspired by a life of study and experience. Ryan Kell, a devoted explorer and enthusiast of the ocean, is the mastermind behind Sea & Summit sunscreen. As an ocean lifeguard, kayak guide, surfer, and lifelong adventurer (and, notably, a ginger), Ryan has crafted this sunscreen with ingredients sourced from our planet, for the betterment of our planet. Sea & Summit products proudly celebrate the essence of your unique skin.

Where we started

Ryan earned a degree in exercise science and nutrition. However, at a crossroads where lifestyle and priorities were shifting toward a more conscious and environmentally aware existence, he saw an opportunity to enact change. While lifeguarding and guiding at Channel Islands National Park off the coast of Santa Barbara, Ryan began examining the chemicals and ingredients in the average sunscreen bottle. Disappointed by the chemical damage done to the body and the environmental impact of mainstream sunscreen, Ryan got to work. What began as sunscreen gifted to friends grew to a line sold to the local Santa Barbara lifeguarding and guiding communities. 

Where we’ve been…

After a fated bicycle trip down the west coast of North America following the inspirational environment of the Banff Mountain Film Festival, Ryan chose to develop his homemade sunscreen into one that would transcend the limits of what average skincare can do. On that ride, Ryan reflected on the films he saw that highlighted the beauty of the natural world, paired with great adventures, and decided he would become a part of the conversation, building a business with an intentional supply chain, transparency, and environmental and social change leading the way.

He stayed with friends, slept on the beach and vacant beach house rental porches, and met challenges as the products grew and changed. He lobbied for reef protection in Hawaii and became a founding member of the Safe Sunscreen Council, opening the door for legislation and awareness around what our choices as human beings do to the natural environment. From walking from store to store selling sunscreen out of his backpack to living out of a VW van driving all over California with packing materials and a cooler full of sunscreen, Sea & Summit was crafted as it is intended to be used: “on-the-go.”

Where We’re Going…

While the ingredients are natural, organic, and all listed on the plastic-free and compostable or recycled plastics packaging, the true ingredients of Sea & Summit are a trip to the Sierra Nevadas, surfing the California coast, driving with the windows down, embodying the spirit of the road, and the natural world. 

Sea & Summit has its eyes on the horizon, always seeking new and more conscious ways to explore, partner, and be in communion with our planet.

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