A focus on tracking, traceability, carbon mitigation, waste reduction & minimalist multi-use formulations sets Nation Botanics apart

USA-based Nation Botanics has once again been awarded a Product Sustainability Award for 2025, following their win in 2024.

Nation Botanics is a skincare brand focused on simplicity and sustainability for outdoor adventurers. The brand’s mission is to create high-performance, environmentally-conscious skincare products that support outdoor adventurers while helping to heal the planet. Whether you’re a surfer, skier, snowboarder, or simply someone who loves the outdoors, Nation Botanics offers a streamlined solution to skincare with their Surf+Slope Dynamic Multi-Climate Care Revitalizing Serum and Nourishing Moisturizer—a duo designed to meet the needs of faces exposed to the harshest elements, from sun to snow.

Nation Botanics: Pioneering Sustainable Skincare for Outdoor Adventurers

Skincare for those who spend their lives outside—whether surfing, skiing, or snowboarding—has often been overlooked, with most products focusing solely on sun protection. But, for those faces constantly exposed to harsh elements, a product that does more than just block UV rays is essential. That’s where Nation Botanics and its founder, Mercedes Pepper, come in. As a surfer and skier/boarder herself, Mercedes recognized the need for an easy-to-use, restorative skincare solution specifically designed for the unique needs of outdoor enthusiasts.

After spending over ten years in the philanthropic and public sectors, Mercedes decided to take a bold step towards sustainability and skincare innovation. She moved into an Airstream and spent over four years developing a simple yet effective skincare duo that was as adaptable as it was luxurious. After years of research and testing over 250 botanicals, the Surf+Slope skincare duo was born—an all-in-one, adaptive solution that replaces multiple skincare products in a single, minimalist routine. Surf+Slope Dynamic Multi-Climate Care Revitalizing Serum and Nourishing Moisturizer—are a powerful pair designed to tackle all aspects of healthy skin in just two bottles and 20 seconds.

Launched in early 2024, Nation Botanics is based in Pinedale, Wyoming, and is proud to be the first skincare company to provide full ingredient traceability while focusing on sustainability. With 98% of the ingredients sourced from native North American plants and 92% from North American farmers, Nation Botanics ensures that every purchase supports local agriculture and the environment. 

A leading Sustainability strategy

Nation Botanics stands out for their comprehensive sustainability strategy. Here’s how the brand is leading the way with environmental responsibility:

1. Ingredient Sourcing and Carbon Footprint

Based in Pinedale, Wyoming, Nation Botanics sources 92% of its ingredients from North American farmers, making it one of the skincare industry’s leaders in low-carbon-footprint products. By sourcing locally, they not only support regional farmers but also minimize the environmental impact of transportation, ensuring that the product you use on your skin doesn’t cost the Earth.

Nation Botanics embraces full ingredient traceability, allowing customers to see exactly where every ingredient comes from. With ingredients primarily sourced from North America, the brand has built strong relationships with 17 ingredient providers and nine local businesses. This transparency empowers customers to make informed, responsible choices, knowing that the products they use have a minimal environmental footprint.

2. Minimalist Multi-Use Formulations

In an era of skincare overload, Nation Botanics’ Surf+Slope skincare duo stands as a beacon of simplicity. Each product—one revitalizing serum and one nourishing moisturizer—delivers the benefits of eight traditional skincare products in just two bottles, drastically reducing waste. Whether you need extra hydration after a day on the slopes or a restorative boost after a day in the sun, Surf+Slope adapts to your skin’s needs with no fillers, additives, or synthetics.

Designed to be used in just 20 seconds, this dynamic duo provides moisturizing, hydrating, repairing, protecting, brightening, soothing, lifting, and clarifying benefits in one application. No more overwhelming skincare routines—just pure, plant-powered nutrients that work in harmony with your skin and the environment.

3. Transparent and Sustainable Packaging

Nation Botanics’ commitment to sustainability extends to every aspect of its products, including packaging. The brand uses blue glass bottles, which are infinitely recyclable or reusable, reducing the need for single-use plastics. While these bottles are sourced from China—due to the lack of North American manufacturers that produce small glass bottles in the quantities Nation Botanics requires—the emissions from sea freight shipping are surprisingly comparable to air freight from nearby countries like Mexico.

Glass also offers functional benefits, providing a safer and more stable vessel for delicate products like facial oils. This thoughtful packaging choice highlights Nation Botanics’ balanced approach, carefully weighing the environmental and practical impacts of every decision.

4. Carbon Mitigation and Ocean-Positive Impact

Nation Botanics doesn’t just reduce its carbon emissions; it goes a step further by offsetting more carbon than it emits. The brand partners with Seatrees and Bluebird Climate to plant mangrove trees and other ocean plants, which are highly efficient at sequestering carbon. Through this initiative, Nation Botanics has earned Ocean+Positive Solution, as it sequesters more carbon emissions than it creates.

By measuring its annual carbon footprint down to the milligram, Nation Botanics ensures that every component of their products—down to the shipping methods—has been carefully optimized for minimal environmental impact.

5. Ethical Sourcing and Supporting Local Communities

Nation Botanics is proud to support the local agricultural ecosystem, utilizing 22 proven botanicals native to North America. With 77% of ingredients being organic, wildcrafted, or zero waste, the brand supports farming practices that don’t pollute ecosystems with harmful chemicals. These native plants, naturally adapted to their environments, require fewer resources to grow, making them an inherently sustainable choice for skincare formulations.

The brand’s supply chain also prioritizes small businesses, helping to create jobs and foster economic growth within local communities. By purchasing from North American suppliers and farming co-ops, Nation Botanics is able to keep its carbon footprint low while supporting ethical and sustainable practices.

6. Social Impact and Environmental Giving

Nation Botanics is also dedicated to amplifying its social impact. With each purchase, customers can choose to support one of two causes: restoring 20 square feet of coastal dunes in the Florida Keys through Seatrees by Sustainable Surf or sponsoring a one-hour snowboarding lesson for a child through Chill. These initiatives are designed to connect children to the outdoors and support sustainable practices in coastal restoration.

By purchasing Nation Botanics, customers are making a tangible difference for both their skin and the planet, knowing that their contributions stay local and have measurable impact.

A Skincare Routine for Adventurers, by an Adventurer

Mercedes Pepper’s journey from public service to skincare innovation is rooted in her passion for both social impact and the outdoors. After years of research and testing, she created Surf+Slope—a dynamic skincare duo that simplifies your routine while making a tangible difference for the planet. By integrating ethical sourcing, traceability, and carbon mitigation, Nation Botanics sets a new standard for sustainability in skincare.

Join the Movement
With every purchase of Surf+Slope, you’re supporting local farmers, small businesses, and meaningful environmental initiatives. Nation Botanics’ commitment to ingredient traceability, carbon reduction, and minimalist formulations makes it clear: sustainability is not just a trend, it’s a way of life.

Nation Botanics