Our Story
Why We Made Military-Grade, Reef Safe Biodegradable Waterproof Sunscreen Lotion
Melissa's upbringing in the Midwest was much like a scene straight out of Tom Sawyer. She was outdoors every day, usually riding her bike down to Duck Creek, a tributary off the Mississippi River, with her friends. They would spend all day catching crawdads and bullheads, and playing in the woods around the train tracks.
As an adult, Melissa carried on her love of the outdoors after relocating to the San Diego area with her husband, Lonnie, who was in the Navy. They quickly fell in love with the outdoor culture available here and all the opportunities for adventure and exploring. Water sports not available in the Midwest like scuba diving, surfing, and paddling were now plentiful, and they took full advantage of the desert, beaches, and mountains surrounding them.
Then one day their puppy, Bodie, began licking the top of Lonnie's head. So much so that it made them take notice. This resulted in an appointment with a dermatologist, and what turned out to be Basal Cell Carcinoma.
From that point on, it was never an option to skip sunscreen. Melissa works in the health and fitness industry, and so recognized the importance of preventative care. Yet she always had a hard time finding sunscreen that felt good while in the dirt mountain biking.
Bodie finding the cancer on Lonnie's head gave her the idea to make a sunscreen for active people. But it would also need to be safe for the environment as well as the person wearing it, and not tested on animals. And that is how the concept for Kovr All Natural Sunscreen was born. 