On any given day in the Lake Tahoe region, the call to get outside is hard to ignore. Whether it’s first tracks on a powder morning, a long trail run or an afternoon on the water, being outdoors is part of the Tahoe experience. But there’s a downside to all that time in the sun, and Dr. Whitney Hovenic sees it every day.
A double board-certified dermatologist and skin-cancer surgeon based in Reno and Tahoe, Hovenic has built her career treating skin cancer right here in the Reno/Tahoe region.
“I have worked on so many people over the years who have skin cancer, from ski racing legends to coaches to climbers and just people living and playing in Tahoe basin,” she says. “We all get so much more UV exposure at this altitude.”
But her message is not for people to stay inside and hide from the sun. She advises everyone to do what they love outdoors, just do it with protection.
This is why Hovenic and her business partner, Hillary Schieve, a kidney transplant patient and healthcare advocate, created SPOOGE sunscreen. SPOOGE is an acronym for Shield People Optimally Outdoors - Guard Everyone, and its purpose is protection that fits seamlessly into an active lifestyle.
“Every single patient tells me, ‘I wish I had been better about sunscreen when I was younger,’” Hovenic says. “We’re seeing skin cancer in people in their 30s and 40s now. That’s a big shift.”
SPOOGE products are mineral-based and dermatologist-developed, built to perform in high-altitude conditions.
With zinc oxide at the core and added ingredients like ceramides, aloe leaf juice and vitamins C and E, the formulas are designed to protect not only from sun exposure, but also from wind, cold and other environmental stressors.
“We wanted to make something that feels really good on your skin,” Hovenic says. “If you love how it feels, you’ll actually wear it.”
The founders call it “all screen,” instead of sunscreen, a reminder that sunscreen should be part of life for all seasons all the time, not just for beach days or long hikes.
“The sun doesn’t take vacations, and neither should your sunscreen,” Hovenic says, adding that even small amounts of sun – the rays through your car window as your drive, on the lower half of your face as you golf, on the back of your neck as you enjoy après – can add up over time.
Launched in July 2025, SPOOGE also has a strong educational mission. The female-owned brand hosts skin cancer screenings and education sessions at ski areas and community events while working to build a broader network of dermatology advocates focused on prevention.
“If you’re going to be out there – and you should be out there having fun – just protect yourself,” Hovenic says. “Even preventing one bad sunburn can make a difference long term.”
In Tahoe, where the outdoors is the lifestyle, sun protection can keep you showing up for the fun, for a long time to come.
spooge.co
(530) 544-8113
About the Author Molly Harrison
Molly Harrison is the managing editor at One Boat, Inc., publisher of Tahoe.com, LakeTahoeThisWeek.com and RenoTahoeCarson.com.
