Meet: Fred, Skin Protection For The Fairest Of Man

There’s no sport on earth more brutal on your skin than the one we hold dear. Sunscreen, is almost as essential as the board, fins and wax. Every 52 minutes somebody dies from melanoma, which, we hope meant they led a life with a neat tan. But, most screens suck. It gets on your rails, makes your board slippery and mostly makes your face look white and pasty. We’re all about something subtle, something that’s minimises mess that doesn’t come off as soon as you hit the brine. Stuff by Fred is a new sunscreen brand from Australia. It sits closer to Elizabeth Arden and Ella Bache zinc than what you find in the chemist. We like it and wanted to find out some more about it.  

Stab: Tell us about yourself.   
Fred: I’m Fred. G’day. Nice to meet ya… In the past, some have called me part mad-scientist. Some have called me a part environmentalist. But I just see myself as a bit of a thinker, a tinkerer, a surfer and a ginger. A knock-about, everyday bloke who simply wants to make sure you and your mates can live it up and lap it up outdoors with the confidence that you’re protected in a healthy, friendly way.

Like other high-end zinc brands, you don’t need much hence the small tub.

What’s your prerogative?
Having skin that burns easily, I found myself brewing my own homegrown sun protection. My goal was to use ingredients you can spell, pronounce and even taste, offering an alternative to most of the creams on supermarket shelves.

Without bashing too much enviro-stuff, most of these big brand sunscreens contain chemical filters. Specifically, one called Oxybenzone. This is found in 80% of sunscreens. It penetrates our skin, is absorbed into the bloodstream and can lead to allergic reactions, cell damage, hormone imbalances and in worst cases; skin cancer. Crazy, right?

Australian made and environmentally safe.

Why sun protection? 
Because I didn’t want to get into sunglasses or tail pads… Just kidding, we love the outdoors too much so we need a safe solution. My other motivation was that, as surfers, if the best product we have for sun care is a female foundation that costs $50+ and is loaded with chemicals, something is very wrong.

What inside it then? 
My Friendly Bronze Zinc Stuff is one hundred percent Australian made. I wanted to make sure the ingredients didn’t require a Google search, it’s brewed together using zinc oxide, coconut oil, beeswax, and cocoa butter.

This is the motif that represents the Australian $20 note. The note is red. Cute, huh.  

And the price?
I couldn’t go past the Aussie Lobster, could I? One jar can last you the season.

Learn more about Fred right here. 
Or become a follower, here.  

We like good products, new brands and the entrepreneurial sprit. This is not sponsored content. There is no commercial arrangement between Stuff by Fred and Stab.