Our latest Beauty Boss is Alana Blanchard, a globally renowned professional female surf athlete and founder of Pursuit Beauty—a line of skincare and sun protection products that are clean and simple. A longtime surfer who grew up in Hawaii, Blanchard has won numerous championships throughout her career including The Women’s Pipeline Championships. In 2017, she launched the Alana Blanchard Foundation with the goal of supporting female talent in the sport of surfing.

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All of Pursuit Beauty’s products are reef-friendly, multi-purpose, accessible and easy to use, in addition to being vegan and cruelty-free. In addition, all of their tubes, jars and sticks are made with 30% recycled materials and their outer-packaging is made from 100% recycled cardboard.

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We chatted with Blanchard, who shared the inspiration behind the brand, wellness tips, her favorite beauty secrets, and much more.

What inspired the creation of Pursuit Beauty?

As a pro surfer and busy mom of two, I was always looking for multitasking products that make my life easier and most importantly, that work! I don’t have a ton of time to do a full skincare routine, and living in Hawaii, I’m in the sun all day, so that really inspired me to create a simple, clean and effortless sun and skincare routine with high-quality products that are easy to use, multi-purpose, and at an accessible price point for everyone.

What’s the meaning behind the name?

My whole life I’ve spent in the pursuit of different things that are important to me and trying to do them the best way I know how. From my surfing career to becoming a mom, and now starting a brand that I’m deeply passionate about, all of these accomplishments have made me who I am today. When it came to creating my own skincare brand, we wanted to make sure the name embodied the feeling of going after what you want and comes from deep within you, pursuing the things that make you feel your best. We realized that everyone is on their own “pursuit” and the end goal, in this case, is the same for everyone: to protect your skin from the sun with the best clean and eco-friendly products you can get. So the name Pursuit Beauty came pretty naturally from that inspiration.

Does Pursuit Beauty have a hero product?

It was important to me to create sunscreen that people would actually want to wear, and skincare that was practical and easy to use, which is surprisingly hard to find, especially at a reasonable price. 

Our Double-Up SPF 50 Face Sunscreen Serum and Hang 40 SPF 40 Face Sunscreen Gel are our two heroes because they’re everything a sunscreen should be: non-greasy, breathable, fast-absorbing, and made with clean ingredients and without any whitecast. It took quite a while to create a sunscreen that actually makes your skin feel amazing while wearing it.  Plus, at $18, you can apply and reapply throughout the day without worrying as much about the price of a new bottle when you run out.

What are your favorite products from the brand?

It’s hard to pick, I love them all. If I had to choose, I would probably say our Double-Up SPF 50 Sunscreen Serum and our Coldrush Cooling & Neutralizing Stick. I’m always on-the-go and these two products are so easy to apply and reapply no matter what I'm doing on a given day. Not to mention the Double-Up Serum gives my skin a nice glow that I love and Coldrush is the perfect product to swipe on-the-go after sun, surfing, or exercise to cool down.

Where are Pursuit Beauty products sold?

For now, Pursuit Beauty is sold on our website and we’ll be launching on Amazon as well. We’re in exciting talks with a couple of different in-store retailers so stay tuned for those updates.

Future plans?

We’re working on new suncare products with mineral textures and other nourishing ingredients. We’re always in pursuit of new, clean innovations that keep your skin healthy and protected, and our holistic wellness approach means there are some exciting things coming soon. Stay tuned!

What inspires you?

I’m inspired by all of the strong women out there who are not afraid to be themselves. Sometimes that's easy for people to do and sometimes it’s really hard, but whatever your journey to get to that place where you can be confident in yourself and who you are—that is inspirational to me.

Secret to success?

I really don’t know for sure. For me, I’ve always just tried to work hard and be true to myself and what I believe in. Sometimes things work out and sometimes they don’t, but I just try to keep working toward what feels true to me. Surfing is one of those sports where the conditions are never exactly the same so there’s this sort of fluidity that you have to learn to embrace. I try to take that into everything else I’m doing, knowing that I’m not ever fully in control of anything other than myself.

Beauty secrets?

Always, always, wear SPF every day and reapply throughout the day. Also, focus on whatever you can that is fun and makes you as happy as humanly possible; genuine happiness is the key to true beauty.

Wellness tips?

I’m a vegan, so I love eating fresh fruits and vegetables that keep me healthy, as well as the right supplements that work for my body. Also, staying active is key to a healthy body. Exercising regularly keeps me feeling strong and at my best! This may sound obvious but sometimes it’s hard to keep a good routine when you have so much else going on in your life. I make sure to do workout routines that are fun and make me happy so I’m more motivated to do them.

Best advice?

Besides always wearing sunscreen, always be yourself no matter what the situation is.

How do you like to relax?

I don’t get a lot of downtime, but when I do I love something like a beach date with Jack or quietly watching a sunset or sunrise and appreciating how lucky we are for our happy, healthy family.

For more information, visit the website and follow on Instagram: @pursuitbeauty

[Images courtesy of Pursuit Beauty]

Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk