Saltee Foundation and Ocean Youth Trust South partner to protect skin at sea 

Ocean Youth Trust South (OYT South) has partnered with Saltee (a UK-based sun care brand). The Saltee Foundation, the charitable trust aligned to Saltee, will initially be providing its Saltee Active Sun Lotion SPF 30 and SPF 50 for the crew on board OYT South’s voyages for 2023, although both partners hope to extend the relationship over multiple years.

“Our work is all about taking young people out to sea in the sun and the wind, and we have therefore always been conscious of the need to encourage the young people, as well as our staff and volunteers, to wear sunscreen,” says Mark Todd, chief executive of OYT South. “Some of our work is with individuals from disadvantaged or vulnerable backgrounds who may have had limited opportunities for outdoor activities, so we aim to raise awareness of the need to protect themselves.” 

Todd says the partnership also works for OYT South on a sustainable level. “Saltee also brings significant environmental benefits which are so important to the young people on board and also to our charitable work. The fact that Saltee products are ocean-friendly, with responsibly sourced ingredients, and working towards zero-waste packaging, makes this partnership a perfect fit for us.” 

OYT South runs residential sailing voyages for around 450 young people aged 11-25 each year – normally with up to 15 young people at a time sailing with seven staff and volunteers. The great majority of its voyages, especially in term-time, are for young people who are disadvantaged or vulnerable in some way. 

“For the great majority of our young crew members, being outside for much of the day is a novel experience in itself – let alone taking responsibility for sailing a 105-foot vessel,” says Caroline White chief operating officer OYT South. “With young people exposed to sun and sea for long periods, we have been very conscious of sunscreen use for years: we keep a box of sunscreen products by the door and watchleaders will regularly remind people to use it as they go in and out.” 

The partnership with Saltee alleviates the cost of buying products for 450 young people annually, a substantial bonus for OYT South. And, as well as the high value donation, the Saltee Foundation will be providing a sun care education programme. 

“We were so excited to be approached by OYT South to support their youth sailing initiatives,” says Patrick McGuirk, co-founder, Saltee. “Saltee has a greater purpose around supporting those less advantaged and our Saltee Foundation recognises that travel, including sailing, is a great means of broadening opportunity and mindsets. You definitely need the best SPF when out on the water; the best SPF is Saltee. And the chance to support through product and education with the team on the Prolific was one we couldn’t overlook.” 

Saltee is a young brand which pursued a sustainable formulation from its outset. None of its products contain Oxybenzone, nano-particles or zinc oxide. The company prides itself on identifying and avoiding ingredients that might be considered harmful to ocean life. 

Prolific already has an environmental toolkit on board, and Saltee will be adding to that with the provision of laminated posters showing the crew how much lotion they need, and how often they need it. The toolkits used during voyage downtime provide activities, games and experiments on an environmental theme. The idea of developing a partnership involving high-quality sunscreen which is ocean-friendly, zero waste and sustainable feels like a perfect fit, says Todd.