The Health Benefits of Seaweed

Wrapped around sushi rolls or floating in muscle-soothing baths, seaweed is famously healthy stuff. And when our founder, Rivka, moved from New York to Scotland in the seventies, she walked along the windswept beaches collecting bundles of it. Why? Because as a trained aromatherapist and herbalist, she knew that seaweed would be a powerful ingredient in her skin creams and soaps. So, what exactly can seaweed do for your skin and hair?

BENEFITS OF SEAWEED FOR YOUR SKIN

Seaweed is loaded with nutrients from the water it grows in. Through active transport and absorption, it takes up good stuff like proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, amino acids, vitamins and minerals from seawater. And many of these components are known to do good things for the skin. Some species of seaweed may:

Moisturise: Packed with vitamins, minerals and fatty acids, seaweed is thought not just to nourish the skin, but to help maintain its barrier. Not only that, but the carbohydrate alginic acid is known to help trap moisture into the skin.

Help Acne, Sensitive Skin and Rosacea: Seaweed is known for its anti-inflammatory properties, which can help calm irritated skin. And zinc and magnesium, which seaweed is rich in, are known to lessen redness.

Reduce the Appearance of Wrinkles: Certain varieties of seaweeds are especially rich in antioxidants (including vitamin C) and amino acids, which are thought to increase the production of collagen and lead to smoother, more youthful skin.

BENEFITS OF SEAWEED FOR YOUR HAIR

As well as helping with a whole host of skin issues, seaweed can do wonders for your tresses. Many of the nutrients that make seaweed an effective skincare ingredient are also beneficial for the hair and scalp. Seaweed may help:

Moisturise and Thicken: The strong presence of fatty acids, omega-3, zinc, iron and vitamins A and C in seaweed are all good news for hair. These components help to give hair follicles nutrition and increase blood flow to the scalp, which can lead to thicker, shinier hair.

Replenish Dry Hair: If your hair is damaged or dry, some of the components in seaweed may give it a much-needed boost. Vitamins A and C can help encourage healthy sebum (natural oil) production in your scalp, which leads to softer, healthier locks.

Strengthen and Protect: Seaweed is rich in minerals and amino acids – these fortify hair, making it stronger, bouncier and less likely to break. The antioxidants in seaweed may also help protect your tresses from free radicals and remove product build-up, helping to prevent dullness and hair-thinning.

Calm the Scalp: The anti-inflammatories in seaweed that help stressed-out skin can also come to the rescue of scalps in need. When hair follicles are irritated, hair loss can occur, but seaweed may help to calm them and prevent it. Again, those vitamins can help improve blood flow to the scalp, which keeps it healthy. And a healthy scalp equals healthy hair.

OUR SEAWEED

The seaweed we use is ascophyllum nodosum, also known as rockweed, knotted kelp and egg wrack, from the northern Atlantic. Ours is sustainably grown on the south coast of Ireland and hand-harvested, just as it was by Rivka nearly 50 years ago. Today, we use it in our aromatic Seaweed & Citrus Shampoo, Seaweed & Citrus Conditioner, Seaweed & Citrus Hand Wash and Seaweed & Citrus Body Wash.