· By Mercedes Pepper
Why I'm Closing the Skincare Company That Actually Works
I'm writing this from my kitchen table in Wyoming, the sun's shining through the window, fall leaves are here as I look outside to see my dog Freya next to my Airstream, Lomasi Rose... she brought me on this wild incredible adventure, and it's kinda where it all started. 🏔️
And next to me are shipments of Surf+Slope I'll be dropping at the mail, and honestly, I'm feeling all the emotions. There's something I need to share with you, and it starts with a story...
When Heathrow Airport Changed My Life
Picture this: me on a plane or train twice a week, traveling domestically and/or internationally for my work in global development. My face was a complete hot mess - a weather map of confusion. ✈️ Oily breakouts one day, dry patches the next. Hotel bathrooms in different time zones, different climates, different water... my skin couldn't keep up.
My skin had mood swings.
Sometimes it behaved as normal skin, combination skin, or sensitive skin. It would swing from super flaky and dry to oily with blemishes, red and irritated, to regularly sun-kissed (despite sunscreen). What my skin needed changed daily, weekly, seasonally—especially when I was able to ski in cold high altitudes or surf at warm sea levels.
So, I spent a small fortune on a 6+ step routine that promised to "fix everything," dragging multiple bottles through airport security, only to have Heathrow confiscate half my expensive products as I forgot about their 1 liter rule. 💸
And it was on my connecting flight that the inspiration for Surf+Slope started.
But it wasn't just the travel chaos. I was managing multi-million-dollar portfolios for nonprofits, showing donors exactly how their money created measurable change in the world. Transparency and impact was my job. Impact measurement was one of my expertises.
Yet when I looked at skincare brands claiming they "give back"? Vague promises. No real proof. No transparency about where ingredients came from or who benefited. Finding truly transparent, genuinely sustainable, and socially responsible products is f****** hard work!
I kept thinking: why can't there be skincare that's like a multivitamin for your face?
Something that adapts to whatever you throw at it—sun, humidity, dry airplane cabins, altitude changes—all of it. And why can't it be from a company that's actually transparent about everything?
But I'm not a beauty person! That's exactly why I got into this. I was exhausted by an industry built on making you feel imperfect and ugly so they can sell you the "fix." Multiple products for multiple problems, when what I really needed was something that just... worked.
So I quit my career and became obsessed with plants, skincare, supply chains, and building a business. 🌱
I got my Airstream - Lomasi, aka my rolling think tank - and hit the road to really dive into all of this. Living nomad life showed me exactly what worked and what didn't. I'd spot future Surf+Slope ingredients growing wild on highway sides and mountain slopes. These plants were thriving in harsh conditions—sun, wind, temperature swings. Just like us outdoor lovers.
For seven years, I've poured everything into creating what I couldn't find—skincare that actually works for people who live outside, sourced transparently from North American farmers, packaged in truly recyclable materials. No BS. No greenwashing. Just badass botanicals that perform. 💪
Actually Did It
Here's what we pulled off:
🏆 Awards & Industry Recognition:
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Two sustainability awards for doing the work, not just talking about it
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PACT Collective spotlight in their annual report for packaging that's actually infinitely recyclable
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Evonik Personal Care Customer Spotlight - recognized by the industry for innovation in skincare for active lifestyles (outdoors)
📰 Media Features:
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Featured in 20+ media outlets, articles, and collaborations
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Including, POW Magazine, MSN, Surfd, Founded Outdoors, True Trae, Smith Quarterly, Popfly
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Outdoor Minimalist Podcast
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Times Square Billboard (thanks to our Ecosapiens partnership)
🤝 Brand Collaborations:
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Coalition Snow, ILLA, tDocs - awesome women-led companies that share our values - to GOES Health
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This is all proof that you can build a transparent supply chain AND create phenomenal skincare
We weren't just another "clean beauty" brand making empty promises. We had the receipts.
But here's what makes it really hard to write this email...
The Messages That Make This So Hard
Yesterday, Lisa wrote:
"I am in love with this product! I usually slather all sorts of creams on my face at night and in the morning. This is all I need. I will be giving it as a gift to all of my friends. Thank you so much!"
To Jessica's recent text:
"Three people asked me today what was making my skin glow / you look tan - I sent them the link to your shop since that's all I have on my face today!"
And there are countless DMs, reviews, and messages from people sharing how much they love Surf+Slope. Multiple customers say strangers stop them to ask about their glowing skin. When others notice too, that's the best feeling! ✨
This is exactly what I created Nation Botanics for—so you could get your healthiest skin without countless bottles and steps, in just 20 seconds, while having it align with your values to do good.
You deserve healthy skin without the fuss, and you shouldn't have to compromise your values for good skincare. 💯
This stuff works. You know it. I know it. So why am I hitting pause?
Why I Said Yes to Something Else 🎿
Life threw me a curveball—the kind that only comes once. I've been offered the chance to oversee and rebrand my local Wyoming ski resort, co-brand it with a local hotel, plus some other exciting opportunities across western Wyoming.
It hits every passion point: problem-solving, creating a brand to do good, streamlining operations, community driven, getting more families outside, hospitality, conservation, and of course, skiing! ⛷️ After consulting to test the waters, I went full-time last week.
It was the hardest decision because I genuinely love Nation Botanics. But...
We were finally proving that you could build a skincare company the right way. People were getting incredible results. Everything was working... except the math and my stress.
The Real Cost of Refusing to Cut Corners
Don't get me wrong—people absolutely love the products and the mission. But here's what I've learned about trying to build a business that refuses to cut corners:
To be competitive in beauty/skincare these days, you basically have to have investors and huge marketing budgets. I don't want that. 🙅
The retail landscape is brutal right now. I'm seeing increases in costs of my ingredients, even the ones grown and made in the USA! Tariffs just hit some of my most expensive ingredients from France and Canada. I've already reduced prices once before and I don't want to lose trust by having to increase them again (a decrease would be different!).
And it still infuriates me when I see other "sustainable" and "clean" brands crushing it yet delivering no transparency to back up their claims. I'm all for supporting others, but when you're not doing what you're marketing, oh hell no!
Meanwhile, I'm over here doing the work:
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Ingredient sourcing from local farmers who earn fair wages
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Supply chain with the low(est) carbon footprint (as 92% North American grown ingredients)
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Packaging that's actually recyclable, not just "luxury feeling"
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Honest formulation that gives you everything in two bottles instead of selling you 5+ products for higher profits
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No predatory marketing that preys on your insecurities
Even being bootstrapped and keeping overhead minimal, the math is getting impossible.
And honestly? I'm almost 40.
I've learned that loving something doesn't mean sacrificing everything for it. I have to love myself too.
This has basically consumed every hour of my life. Something had to give.
What's Next (Spoiler: It's Not Goodbye)
I'm thinking of limited-release drops… Small batches for loyal customers (and myself—I'm obsessed with my own formulations) yet in bigger bottles.
Maybe more writing and advocacy against all the industry BS that drove me to start this in the first place. We will see what unravels! 🤔
But for now, I need to move this incredible inventory while I can still fulfill orders myself.
Final Call: $99 Formula Now $42 or Less!
Why clearance pricing?
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I'm closing the business for now and need to move inventory before November 15th
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Some imperfect packaging (air bubbles in labels, box edges showing white) and a few pump complaints on moisturizers
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My products don't have 4+ year shelf lives like mainstream brands (fewer hardcore preservatives)
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I need to recoup some costs while I can still fulfill orders myself
Final Pricing:
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1 unit: $42 (free shipping)
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2 units: $76 ($38 each)
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3 units: $108 ($36 each)
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4 units: $130 ($32.50 each)
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5 units: $150 ($30 each)
Stock up for ski season. Gift to friends.
Got extras? Store in your fridge to keep them freshest (that's how I store all inventory too). ❄️
Sale ends November 15, 2025 – even if inventory remains (I simply won't have the bandwidth to fulfill orders after). ⏰
Gratitude Overflowing 🙏
This journey has been incredible.
Getting to travel across the US in my Airstream, learning to formulate everything under the sun, diving into the botany of powerhouse plants, e-commerce, marketing, ads, SEO, and of course, having fun throughout it all.
I've learned so much, and am so grateful.
Everything I've built and learned with Nation Botanics is actually what got me recognized for this new opportunity and prepared me for it. Not to get too woo-woo, but I think it's a sign to walk through this new door.
But mostly, I'm grateful for getting to create something with love for you to get your healthiest skin easily—even if you're not a skincare person.
Thank you for believing in this mission. For choosing substance over marketing fluff. For proving that people DO want transparency and effectiveness over pretty packaging and empty promises.
This journey taught me that you can absolutely create something good in the world—prove those who told you it can't be done wrong!—and that sometimes the most loving thing you can do is know when to let it transform into something new.
This isn't goodbye forever. Let's see what the next chapter holds.
With so much love and gratitude,
Mercedes 🤍
P.S. – Seriously, grab yours now. Once it's gone, it's gone. And store those extras in the fridge like the precious plant medicine they are. 🌿