Surfer Kelly Slater has launched a direct-to-consumer skin care brand, Freaks of Nature, in cooperation with investment and incubation firm Squared Circles company, which previously collaborated with brands such as Nutrafol and Phyla Biotics.
Additional investors in Freaks of Nature include Mike Meldman, co-founder of Casamigos tequila and founder of Discovery Land, and actor and filmmaker Jonah Hill.
(Squared Circles itself is backed by L Catterton, Regeneration.VC and David Bonderman.)
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The new brand is designed for "outdoor enthusiasts + athletes," per Freaks of Nature, and is focused on key concerns such as skin barrier health and targeted solutions that address sun and wind exposure, pollution and heat, and sweat, all well preserving the balance of the skin microbiome.
"My entire career I've been looking for products that are engineered for performance and built for me as a professional athlete, but that are not detrimental to my body or the planet," said Slater. "With Freaks of Nature, we've finally cracked that code, enabling athletes to go harder at their sport for longer."
The Deeper Dive Moisturizer ($48) comprises a post-biotic bacillus ferment to provide prebiotic support to the skin microbiome and brown algae extract to boost collagen and hydrate the skin.
It also highlights "bio-fabricated" squalane, which is also featured in the brand's sunscreen (see below).
The moisturizer's microbiome claims were validated with the HelloBiome platform. Its packaging, featuring an airless pump, comprises ocean-bound plastic from OceanWorks.
The Daily Defender Sunscreen ($35), meanwhile, delivers SPF30 defense with 18% non-nano zinc oxide. As such, it is reportedly reef-safe and compliant with Hawaii's reef act 104.
The formulation comprises Bolt Threads' B-silk biobased and vegan polypeptide, which acts as a reportedly superior alternative to silicone elastomers.
The polypeptide acts as a biodegradable film former to render products silky soft on the skin while providing a barrier against pollution, blue light and even UV, per Bolt Threads.
The technology helps support 40-minute water resistance for the formulation.
As with the moisturizer, the sunscreen's packaging comprises ocean-bound plastic from OceanWorks.
"The outdoor athlete is the ultimate embodiment of what we call at Squared Circles the Conscious Maximalist consumer," said Lukas Derksen, co-founder of Squared Circles. "A highly discerning audience who will refuse to compromise on product performance or sustaining the planet. Freaks of Nature clearly delivers on both."
