SALT & STONE | Skincare to Respect the Sea

A lone surfer waits in the waves. Legs straddling her board, bobbing up and down with the timing of the tides. Hot sun beats down on her freckled shoulders. She is simultaneously at complete, unburdened peace, and in-tune with the cadence of the waves as she watches for her next peak. She is one, she is all, she is home.

There are a lot of things we do that are harming the oceans - we know, we say it a lot. We're not going to make a long, overwhelming list that we can't fathom tackling all at once though, we'd rather focus on one thing we're doing that has a pretty easy fix. We are looking specifically at coral. Coral bleaching is becoming one of the saddest and most obvious affects of ocean changes and pollution. 

"Warmer water temperatures can result in coral bleaching. When water is too warm, corals will expel the algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues causing the coral to turn completely white. This is called coral bleaching. When a coral bleaches, it is not dead. Corals can survive a bleaching event, but they are under more stress and are subject to mortality." - NOAA

Top contributors are changes in the ocean's temperature, overexposure to sunlight, extreme low tides, and chemical pollution. Now, there is no easy fix for most of these factors, but we can at least be more responsible in our behaviour when we are entering the water. We might not think about it, but wearing toxic chemicals into the ocean in the form of sunscreens, lotions, and deodorants is damaging to our marine ecosystems. 

"When you swim with sunscreen on, chemicals like oxybenzone can seep into the water, where they’re absorbed by corals. These substances can disrupt coral’s reproduction and growth cycles, ultimately leading to bleaching. 

Even if you don’t go swimming after applying sunscreen, it can still go down drains when you shower. Aerosol can often spray large amounts of sunscreen onto sand, where it gets washed into our oceans. Each year, about 14,000 tons of sunscreen end up in our oceans." - National Geographic 

We still need to protect ourselves from damaging rays, and keep our sweat down. The clear choice is to opt for products making an effort to eliminate the kinds of ingredients that are harmful to the ocean, and to our bodies. It really seems pretty obvious, right?

As part of our mission to protect the ocean, we are stocking up on sunscreen, deodorant, and lip balm from Salt & Stone, "...a natural unisex skin care brand based out of Los Angeles, California, with a strong focus on natural, organic, and antioxidant rich ingredients." 

Salt & Stone was founded in 2017 by Nima Jalali. Having spent the better part of his twenties traveling the world as a professional snowboarder, Nima knew what kind of products people who love interacting with the outdoors needed, but he wanted to do it better than the status quo. He was inspired to create organic, natural products that work just as well as (or better than) the common chemical laden options. Nima feels it is our duty and responsibility as global citizens to look after our Earth, and create biodegradable products that will reduce our footprint. We agree!

Salt & Stone currently offers sunscreens, a deodorant, lip balms, and moisturizing oils to care for our skin that we can safely wear into the ocean and wash down our drains. Sunscreen has become a heated topic lately, as our reefs degrade further and further. Salt & Stone's options are formulated using Non-Nano Zinc Oxide. The "Non-Nano" part is important for a few reasons: 1) It means it will sit on top of your skin and reflect UVA + UVB rays, not enter your bloodstream like a chemical sunscreen, so it is safer for us. 2) In order for mineral sunscreens to leave corals untouched, the ingredient particles must be above 100 nanometers in size so that they cannot be ingested by corals. So non-nano is also safer for the marine environment.

Recently, Hawaii has become the first state to introduce a bill banning all sunscreens that contain oxybenzone and octinoxate, chemicals known to be harmful to coral. There have bee a few other places in the world to make similar moves, but as Hawaii is such a popular destination and has a huge surfing community, we are hoping that their bold stance will bring global attention to this issue. Mahalo!

 

We are excited to have Salt & Stone deodorant in stores for the first time (it smells so good!). It is already one of our most popular items ever! Nima describes this formula as "an extra strength formula for those who are very active." Salt & Stone has spent over 2 years developing the formula and truly believe they have created the most effective natural deodorant ever made. Being that Nima's favourite thing about the ocean is that it creates surf to ride, we figure he has tested the effectiveness of his products first hand many times.

As a serious athlete, we know that Nima needs to have functional products, and we rejoice in the fact that he has taken the natural route to develop them and create a company that believes in his mission.

"We care about using safe and clean ingredients that we ourselves use every day. We use organic ingredients whenever possible so we can support organic farming and avoid the use of all synthetic chemicals which are used in non-organic farming. 

We research and develop formulas with ingredients grown ethically and sustainably without the use of pesticides, artificial fragrances, sulfates, silicones, petrochemicals, parabens, phthalates or GMO’s. All of our packaging is recyclable and made from post consumer recycled materials."

Salt & Stone thinks about every step of the product life cycle, and is always striving for a smaller carbon footprint as they work to expand their SPF and deodorant range in the years to come. We are stoked to have discovered them now, and we can't wait to see how they develop in the future.

With our population growing, and our climate changing, the demand for skin care products is only getting higher. We hope that with a combination of passionate, responsible entrepreneurs like Nima, and progress in our legislation, that we will see brands like Salt & Stone become the new normal.  

So many humans on this planet value our oceans. And yet, there is too much disconnect between our every day actions, and the impact they have on our blue waters. For those of us who live near the sea, we see every day the beauty, utility, and awe-inspiring complexity that the oceans provide us and its ecosystems, but not everyone has those consistent reminders. We have to have the conversations that educate people so they can make the right choices, and support companies who are making conscious production decisions. 

Find Salt & Stone products in-stores or online to be ready for a summer of responsible ocean adventure!

from SALT Shop - Journal https://saltshop.ca/blogs/news/salt-stone

ORCAS | Preserving Nature, Preserving Families

When you think about marine life in the Pacific Northwest, it is unlikely that Orcas won't come up. They have become an icon of our waters. One of the biggest, and most striking animals that represents our stretch of sea, their black and white colouring makes them unmistakable. Although they can be found in other oceans in the world, we do have a relatively high concentration of them residing along the West Coast of North America. They can be even more densely found in the Antarctic, and seem to be able to acclimatize to almost any water temperature. They usually prefer a coastal habitat as opposed to open ocean, although some of the transient pods can be found nearly anywhere from time to time.

Did you know that they are actually dolphins? Or part of the Oceanic Dolphin family more specifically. They are the largest species in the category, weighing up to 10 tonnes and measuring up to 30 feet. There are several biological features that qualify a species into this category. Notable are their fins and their body shapes.

"Oceanic dolphins have a torpedo-shaped body with an inflexible neck,...and a bulbous head. A dolphin skull has small eye orbits,...and eyes placed on the sides of its head. [They] have two flippers on the underside toward the head, a dorsal fin, and a tail fin." -Wikipedia

They are all carnivorous, and can have up to 200 large teeth. Orcas consume other small marine mammals like seals, in addition to fish and squid. They have advanced group hunting techniques, which are really quite remarkable to behold (take a peek here!). Pods from different areas, transient versus resident pods, and the different categories of Orcas within the species will vary in their communication and hunting techniques. Regardless, it would seem that all their methods involve working together. Like many marine mammals, "orcas use echolocation - bouncing sound off of objects to determine their location - to hunt and use a series of high-pitched clicks to stun prey."- defenders.org

Orcas are very intelligent, social animals. They play, they talk, they have familial bonds. There are three broad categories of Orcas: Resident (stick close to shore), Transient (migratory), and Offshore (open ocean dwelling). They travel in pods, which are their families, anywhere from 5-30 on average, although there is no limit to their numbers, save that of their struggle with existence. 

What if, they all disappeared? 

That question makes your heart beat a little faster, doesn't it? What was the first thing that came to mind? Probably questions like "What is threatening them?" "How many are left?" and hopefully, "What can we do to preserve them?" We'd like the answers to those questions too, so we don't have to watch these amazing mammals fade into history.

Currently, there seems to be a lack of data to tells us the exact status of their global population.

"[Their] global distribution and the confusing relationships between populations/potential new species...contribute to scientists not believing that they have enough data to determine the conservation status of the killer whale. Further study and continued monitoring are both necessary to understand any potential risks that this species faces." - oceana.org

However, it is undeniable that they are a threatened, even endangered species. According to this recently released video, the population of the southern resident whales around British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon is at a 30 year low, with only 74 whales accounted for (although a new calf was spotted recently, which is so exciting!). These whales feed mostly on chinook salmon, a species whose numbers are also in decline due to several factors, with climate change heralded as the leader. Other factors in the decline of the Killer Whale population are likely "...increased noise and overcrowding from boat traffic, and an influx of toxic chemicals in their aquatic ecosystem." - oceana.org Orcas are very sensitive to sound, and it is their main source of communication with each other and their environment. If utilizing sound is your main source of finding food and communicating with your pod, having your environment buzzing with loud boat motors is certain to disrupt these processes.

Reproduction is also a challenge. Mothers give birth only every three to ten years, after a 17-month pregnancy. They give birth to one baby at a time, which may nurse for up to two years. That is a long gestation period, which does not leave time for quick procreation of a species. Their young also have only a 50% survival rate, which is a heartbreakingly low number.

Rising water temperatures, increased toxins in their environment and food sources,  lack of food, impending pipelines, captivity, out-right murder - it's not a hard guess as to why the lives of these beautiful creatures are threatened. 

As with many species, marine or otherwise, the Orca's relationship with humans and our behaviour has not been entirely positive. Aside from the byproducts of our way of life messing up their home, we made it a common activity to kidnap them for several decades. Our practice of detaining them for entertainment has been under serious scrutiny over the last several years. As any Free Willy loving moviegoer can attest to (does the trailer make you tear up still too?), the idea of a whale being taken from it's family and placed in captivity where it's living quarters, socialization, and food are all inadequate, seems ludicrous. The documentary Blackfish shows the serious dangers of having killer whales in captivity, both to the whales themselves and to humans. 

In the wild, Orcas have a natural average life expectancy of 30-50 years. In good health and a good environment, they could even live for 80-100 years. "The average age of death for orcas who have died at SeaWorld is 14 years old." -seaworldofhurt.com Whales in captivity are lonely, depressed, and can even resort to self-harm. They experience very real emotions, and with this evidence you could argue that their mental health affects their life expectancy and ability to reproduce. As of September 2018, there are still 61 orcas being held in captivity (us.whales.org) Hopefully someday, we will see that number fall to zero, and their numbers in the wild increase.

So how can we assist in their preservation? Living more responsible lives, being kind to the ocean, encouraging everyone to do the same - all small steps in the right direction. As it is becoming (or always has been) ever so common, the fight to protect anything on Earth comes down to politics. Lobby for better laws, and better protection. Vote against initiatives that threaten their habitats. Being vocal about wanting them to be safe as much as you can is always going to be a help!

Recently, our Owner & Designer Jessica connected with the Saturna Island Marine Research & Education Society (SIMRES) and was named an Action Ambassador.  We look forward to the launch of their Top Actions You Can Take to Help The Southern Resident Killer Whales outreach project. We are excited to work with this excellent local organization to help bring more awareness to the needs of these amazing creatures.

In coastal First Nations cultures, the orca is highly respected for its power and intelligence. They symbolize "...family, romance, longevity, harmony, travel, community and protection." - spiritsofthewestcoast.com After witnessing them, no one can deny that they are magical creatures well-worth protecting. 

from SALT Shop - Journal https://saltshop.ca/blogs/news/killer-whales