What the Ocean + Mountains Taught Me About Skin

Living between the ocean and the mountains has taught me many things over the years, but one lesson has remained constant: the elements demand respect.

After long days at the beach, my skin would always feel tight and dry from the bright sun, steady breeze, salt water, and sand. During winter hikes in the White Mountains, my exposed skin faced a different kind of challenge. Extreme cold, strong winds, and blowing snow could leave my skin feeling raw and depleted after only a few hours outside.

At first, I treated this as something normal. Just part of living an active outdoor life.

But over time, I became increasingly uncomfortable with the ingredients found in most conventional skincare products. Not only was I hesitant to continually absorb synthetic ingredients into my skin, but I also began thinking about where those ingredients end up after they wash off our bodies or are thrown away in packaging that lasts far longer than the product itself.

I have always been someone who seeks the simplest solutions in life, and more often than not, I’ve found that the simplest choices are usually the best ones.

That mindset eventually led me to create Wave + Summit.

I developed my tallow balm to help my skin recover naturally after repeated exposure to harsh outdoor conditions. What surprised me most, though, was how quickly it became part of my everyday routine. With consistent daily use, my skin simply maintained its moisture without extra effort. I stopped needing shelves full of lotions and moisturizers, and I haven’t purchased conventional synthetic moisturizers in years.

Grass-fed tallow has long been valued for how closely it resembles the natural oils produced by our skin. Combined with ingredients like jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, beeswax, and vitamin E, the result is a simple formula designed to support healthy, nourished skin without unnecessary fillers or overly complicated ingredients.

The ocean and mountains continue to challenge me every season. But they’ve also reminded me that caring for our skin doesn’t need to be complicated.

I firmly believe that humans were always meant to spend more time outdoors, immersed in nature, and skincare should support life outside, not complicate it.

The goal was always simple, effective care that helps you feel your best without leaving behind a legacy of synthetic pollution in the natural world around us.

Sometimes the best solutions are the simplest ones.

simple. natural. effective. no exceptions.