Introduction
St Ives Apricot Scrub is one of the most recognised face scrubs in the world. Affordable, widely available, and most people have used it at some point.
But if you surf regularly, your skin has very specific needs that a generic scrub was never designed to meet. Zinc oxide. Waterproof sunscreen. Daily sweat and grime. Environmental pollutants that accumulate on the skin throughout the day. These are not problems a mass-market scrub was formulated to solve.
Here is what your skin actually needs and why it matters.
The Problem With St Ives for Surfers
St Ives uses crushed walnut shell powder as its primary exfoliant. Unlike naturally rounded botanical particles, walnut shell powder has jagged, irregular edges.
Dr Joshua Zeichner, Director of Cosmetic and Clinical Research in Dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital, has described walnut shell scrubs as traditionally considered harsh on the skin because of the sharp edges of the walnut powder. Dr Hadley King, a New York-based dermatologist, adds that particles with large, rough, sharp edges like walnuts can create micro-tears in the skin that lead to irritation, inflammation, and possibly infection.
For a surfer already exposed to daily UV radiation, salt water, and wind, that is the last thing your skin needs. You are compounding the damage rather than recovering from it.
St Ives is also oil-free by design. It has no plant oils capable of dissolving zinc oxide or waterproof sunscreen. It scrubs the surface but cannot break down the oil-based compounds that have bonded to the skin. And it contains no restoring ingredients to replenish moisture after cleansing.
What Your Skin Actually Needs
Your skin picks up two types of buildup that St Ives cannot properly address.
The first is zinc and sunscreen. These are oil-based and water-resistant. They bond to the skin and do not come off with water or standard soap. You need an oil-based cleanser to dissolve them. Oil dissolves oil. That is the chemistry behind it.
The second is daily buildup. Sweat, environmental pollutants, and grime that accumulate on the skin throughout the day whether you have been in the water or not. Standard soap strips the skin's natural oils and damages the moisture barrier without fully removing what has bonded.
For someone surfing every day, that damage compounds. Skin becomes dry, rough, and depleted over time.
What Makes a Face Scrub Built for Surfers Different
A face scrub formulated for surfers starts with the specific problems surfers face, not generic skincare needs.
Coconut oil dissolves zinc, sunscreen, and oil-based buildup before the exfoliant even touches the skin. Apricot seed powder and rice powder then physically lift and remove it from the surface. Fine, naturally rounded botanical particles that clean thoroughly without causing micro-tears or stripping the skin.
Jojoba oil then restores the moisture barrier. Structurally identical to the skin's own sebum, it reinforces the barrier and helps the skin hold its own hydration. Aloe calms and draws water into the skin. Beeswax seals it in. Vitamin E protects against free radical damage from UV exposure and environmental stress.
The result is skin that is genuinely clean and restored. Not just surface-exfoliated.
The Difference in Practice
St Ives exfoliates the surface. But its jagged walnut shell particles create micro-tears that leave skin more vulnerable to UV damage and environmental stress. It cannot dissolve zinc or waterproof sunscreen. It has no restoring ingredients. It was not designed for someone surfing every day.
Surfocco Apricot and Rice Face Scrub was. Every ingredient has a specific job. Dissolve. Lift. Restore. Protect. Seal. For someone who surfs regularly, that difference is something you feel immediately.
Cleaner skin. Not stripped. Not dry. Just reset.
Who Surfocco is For
Surfers, freedivers, kiteboarders, sailors, spearfishers, ironmen, beach runners. People who live in and around the ocean and want skincare that actually fits that life.
Not post-surf only. Use it whenever your skin needs a proper clean. After a session, after a long day outside, or any time zinc, sunscreen, and daily buildup needs clearing.
One product. Simple ritual. Built for the ocean.
Surf. Salt. Skin.
Shop the Surfocco Apricot and Rice Face Scrub at surfocco.com.
