We often hear seaweed described as a climate solution, a regenerative crop, even a superfood – but despite the hype, it hasn’t yet broken through into our daily lives in the way many predicted. In beauty, especially, the potential of kelp is enormous, yet the sector is only just beginning to unlock it.
In this week’s episode of Green Beauty Conversations, we explore the fascinating world of regenerative ocean farming with Samantha Garwin, Director of Market Development at GreenWave.
Sam shares why kelp offers functions we simply can’t get from land-based plants, how the beauty industry can tap into this ocean-grown powerhouse, and what barriers still hold it back from going mainstream.
If you’re curious about what’s next for sustainable ingredients – and why kelp could transform the way we formulate for skin health, transparency, and climate resilience – this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
Also, if you’re a beauty brand founder, Sam reveals a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to apply to GreenWave’s Kelp Innovation CoLab, which is offering up to $50,000 in funding to help pioneering brands bring kelp-powered products to market.
“Kelp gives us an entirely new palette to work with in beauty – a different set of compounds, benefits and possibilities that land-based plants simply can’t provide.” — Samantha Garwin
In this episode with Samantha Garwin, you will hear:
- From training to markets: How GreenWave went from supporting new kelp farmers with permits and technical know-how to building a full regenerative ocean economy that connects farms to industries.
- The unique benefits of kelp: Why kelp offers functional compounds like antioxidants and polysaccharides that make it uniquely valuable for personal care and skin health.
- From barriers to adoption: The scientific, regulatory, and cultural hurdles that stand in the way of seaweed becoming a mainstream beauty ingredient.
- The Kelp Innovation CoLab: A new and unique initiative providing funding, formulation support, and R&D partnerships to help brands pioneer kelp-powered beauty.
- Why beauty could lead the way: How beauty brands might succeed in making kelp mainstream, where food has struggled.
Key takeouts include:
- Kelp farming helps restore oceans: Kelp is a regenerative solution that improves ocean health while offering new income streams for coastal communities. Unlike wild harvesting, ocean farming provides a sustainable, scalable supply chain.
- Each species has unique powers: Different kelps support hydration, barrier repair, and even potential UV protection, but only a handful are yet approved by regulators. Expanding the recognised list of species is vital for beauty.
- Consumers need education: Awareness of seaweed in skincare is still low. Brands can help shift perception by showcasing kelp as a desirable, high-performance ingredient rather than a niche “health food” trend.
- The CoLab is a game-changer: The Kelp Innovation CoLab offers up to $50,000 in funding per brand, direct access to ingredient suppliers like Macro Oceans, and even a trip to Alaskan kelp farms, creating a unique opportunity for innovation.
- Future opportunities for kelp: Over the next decade, kelp could transform beauty and packaging. Food has lagged, but beauty is ready for disruption, and kelp’s benefits make it an ingredient to watch closely.
Meet our guest: Samantha Garwin, Director of Market Development of GreenWave
Samantha Garwin is the Director of Market Development at GreenWave, a nonprofit that builds scalable, equitable markets for regenerative ocean farmers. Through education, commercial R&D pilots, and value chain support, Sam enables companies to get kelp from sea to sale as ingredients in food, beauty, and beyond.
Since 2019, Sam has led Seaweed Source, an app with wraparound business development support that connects over 90 seaweed farms across eleven U.S. states and Canadian provinces. The new Kelp Innovation CoLab, which launched in September 2025, connects beauty brands with kelp farmers to develop powerful, ocean-driven formulas that are better for people and the planet.
Sam draws on more than 14 years of experience building sustainable supply chains and socially responsible business models. Before GreenWave, Sam was the CEO of Fleishers, a pioneer of pasture-raised whole-animal retail butchery, and an early employee of Maya Mountain Cacao, a direct-trade bean-to-bar cocoa supplier.
Find out more about Samantha and GreenWave:
- Website: GreenWave
- Instagram: @greenwaveorg
Limited-time opportunity for beauty brand founders: Applications for the Kelp Innovation CoLab are now open! Apply now at kelpcolab.org
Related episodes:
- Episode 215: How seaweed becomes sustainable beauty
- Episode 235: Meet the beauty industry’s most regenerative ingredient
Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed listening, please share, subscribe and review this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Youtube so that more people can enjoy the show. Don’t forget to follow and connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.
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Lorraine Dallmeier is a Biologist, Chartered Environmentalist and the CEO of Formula Botanica, the award-winning online organic cosmetic science school. Read more about Lorraine and the Formula Botanica Team.
