PODCAST 215: How Seaweed Becomes Sustainable Beauty

In this episode, we dive deep, almost literally, into the oceans with a look at how our seas can be a sustainable source of beauty ingredients. Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier talks to Matthew Perkins, the founder of Macro Oceans to learn about an innovative journey that is transforming regeneratively-farmed seaweed into eco-friendly cosmetics.

Macro Oceans, a technology company based in California, transforms seaweed regeneratively farmed in Alaska into a wide range of low-carbon chemicals, including those used in cosmetics. Its unique zero-waste system uses 100% of the seaweed. The company recently launched its first cosmetic product – a powerful bioactive providing excellent hydration for skincare and haircare products.

Don’t miss this insightful conversation exploring the future of sustainable beauty and the transformative power of seaweed in cosmetics.

Inspiring quote:

“Regenerative ingredients should be effective, natural, and low impact, and have a community benefit. It’s about creating products that not only work, but also contribute positively to the environment and the communities involved.”– Matthew Perkins

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In this episode with Matthew Perkins of Macro Oceans, you will hear:

• Insights into the founding of Macro Oceans and the mission behind the company.
• A breakdown of how seaweed’s bioactive polysaccharides are used in skincare and hair care products.
• The process of sourcing and processing seaweed, including the challenges faced in North America.
• The significance of traceability in the beauty industry and its impact on consumer trust.

Key takeouts include:

• The bioactive polysaccharides extracted from seaweed offer hydration and protection to the skin and hair, and showcase the power and potential of marine ingredients in cosmetics.
• The challenges in processing seaweed in North America highlight the need for innovative solutions and infrastructure development in the seaweed industry.
• The growing importance of traceability in beauty products underscores the need for transparency and accountability throughout the supply chain.

Meet our guest: Matthew Perkins

Matthew is Founder and CEO of Macro Oceans, a start-up transforming seaweed into low-carbon chemicals for use in materials, food, cosmetics and many other applications.

He is an experienced entrepreneur, having built and sold his first company, Yield Pop, to The Climate Corporation. Matthew has more than a decade of experience in terrestrial agriculture and was the first business hire at Inari, a gene-editing technology company, where he helped raise over $100m in venture capital.

Find out more about Macro Oceans:
Macro Oceans Website | LinkedIn | Instagram

Formula Botanica Macro Oceans’ offer: Macro Oceans is providing Formula Botanica students with a special offer that includes:

• a free sample of their Hydrating Marine Polysaccharides
• 3 free, ready-to-customise formularies – a plump and prime serum, an after-sun spray and a bi-phasic makeup remover
• a white paper explaining the science and benefits of the seaweed bioactives

To claim the offer, simply go to this link and add your contact information.

There’s a wealth of information in our previous episodes and we encourage you to go back and listen to them. If you want to hear more about some of the topics we covered in this episode, please do delve back into the podcast archives. Go and listen to:

Episode 181: Marine magic – from seaweed waste to cosmetics
Episode 203: Turning the tide on plastics in beauty
Episode 168: Algae, the future of sustainable beauty

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 iTunes, Spotify or Youtube so that more people can enjoy the show. Don’t forget to follow and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Lorraine Dallmeier

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.