About Us.
Five talented international students from all over the world came together at EF Academy for one goal - to protect the future. In order to do this Aina, Ari, Sima, Ai, and Ellen decided to focus on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal: Life Below Water. After researching, we realized that one of the greatest problems facing the world were bleached coral reefs. Entire ocean ecosystems were just dying! We started to research the reason behind the issue, and we found it! One of the main contributing reasons for coral bleaching was sunscreen. Most common sunscreens contain chemicals like oxybenzone, octocrylene, and octinoxate that all damage and cause harm to coral reefs. That is why we decided to create our very own sunscreen.
Our idea was to create a sustainable and reef-friendly sunscreen. What we have created is a sunscreen that maintains high spf protection, is suitable for all skin types, comes in visually appealing and sustainable packaging all at a low, affordable price. As our society advances and the new generation become adults, we find that visuals become increasingly important, which is why our design caters toward the young population. Our compassion for the sea led to another aspect of our product; the 10% donation of all profits to Coral Reef Alliance, an organization focused on saving coral reefs. Ultimately, we named our product Asé; a name created from the initials of our names that embodies our personal connection to protecting our oceans.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT FOR OUR US?
Ariadne Duan
- "Growing up on the islands of Hawaii, the ocean has always been a second home to me. Whether it be strolling down the white-sand beaches or snorkeling with the tropical fishes, the beautiful and vibrant corals were always a pleasant sight to see. That’s why the thought of these dazzling views being utterly destroyed, was so abominable to me. Especially when the reason behind this catastrophe was something that we can easily prevent, if we choose to. By creating Asé sunscreen, I hoped to take a step into protecting my beloved home."
Aina Hirata
- "I lived in the Philippines for years and I have always loved the sea that surrounded me. The beach that was near where I lived had beautiful and colorful corals until recently, when I heard the news from my friend that the beach near our house closed due to the sunscreen chemical that affected the corals on the beach. I believe that our project will help lead to the reformation of corals and the reopening of beaches all around the world."
Ai Hiruma
- "I was born in Japan, a country surrounded by the sea. In recent years, seawater pollution has become a huge issue in Japan. This has harmed sea creatures and other animals. Coral reefs are of course included in this problem. There are places in Japan where corals are beautiful, but they are also dying at a rapid pace. I hope that our project and the sunscreens that will be produced in the future will spread and reduce the seawater pollution."
Serafima Arishina
- "For me, our environment's health is a really important and exciting topic. All my life, me and my family were sorting out garbage for safe disposal. From childhood, my parents were teaching me that the healthy Earth equals healthy people. We need to help our planet and its creatures, not kill them. Now that I have an opportunity to help, I am grasping it without a second thought. You also can help, as even a helping a bit is better than nothing, so start now."
Ellen Guo
- "Where do you go, when you need some time off in order to relax and escape reality for a bit? For me it has always been the sea, where I would go with my friends. Imagine being able to forget all your worries for a bit and just enjoy the beautiful water. You can swim, take a walk, or just lay on the beach. All of that would not be possible without our corals, which are one of the main ecosystems of our sea. Yet, they are all dying right now. By inventing Ase Sunscreen we will prevent the corals from being harmed any further!"