Sustainability in Skincare: How Sea Moss Can Improve Skin Health

 Did you know that moss is one of the oldest plants on the planet with the first species going back 450 million years? Sea moss in particular is a very old type of plant and a very useful one. Humans have been using sea moss on their skin for thousands of years for the skincare benefits and today, sea moss has created a prominent position in the skincare industry.

This is not to mention that when it comes to sustainability in skincare, sea moss is high on the list. But does sea moss really work for the skin or is it just another skincare scam? Keep reading and learn more about the uses of sea moss in your skincare routine and how it can benefit all different skin types.

ocean sunrise

What Is Sustainable Sea Moss in Skincare?

Sea moss goes by a variety of names and it is actually a type of seaweed, specifically red algae. Does this mean that you can pick up any piece of seaweed that washed up on the coast of the beach and benefit from putting it on your face? Of course not, because sea moss is a very particular type of sea plant and it has to be harvested from a clean environment before you should even think about putting it on your face.

It has long tendrils covered in small spines and they can grow up to 20 centimeters in length, making this type of algae quite small. It can even survive in extreme undersea conditions. However, much of it is now harvested from sustainable farms that don't even require soil or freshwater.

The reason it can survive so well in conditions that would kill most creatures is due to the store of metabolites this moss stores for itself. With these metabolites, sea moss can withstand just about anything that it encounters in its environment. In past, people didn't realize that this kind of sea moss had any beneficial properties for the skin.

For that reason, people of the past instead used this moss to mix and thicken certain foods such as yogurt or soup. Of course, it was only a matter of time that people discovered the skin health benefits of this small plant. Today, you will find that a huge variety of skincare products have sea moss in them. 

But what makes sea moss so beneficial and why is everyone so excited to use it in their skincare routines? Learn more about its benefits below.

Sea Moss Is a Powerful Antioxidant 

When it comes to improving skin health, you can't avoid antioxidants for your skin. Without antioxidants, your skin will eventually accumulate damage and start to look dull and old. That's because of pesky little nuisances known as free radicals. 

Free radicals are unstable atoms that accumulate in the body (and especially the skin) after being exposed to a variety of damaging factors such as UV rays or pollutants. Free radicals are so unstable because they are missing an electron, so to get themselves stable again, they try to interact with your body on a cellular and molecular level. This is bad news when you have free radicals trying to interact with your skin cells.

That's because several scientific studies have found that free radicals are responsible for the acceleration of aging. They are also big culprits in the development of certain types of cancer and inflammation throughout the body. Once free radicals interact with your skin, lipid peroxidation will occur which can cause all sorts of damage to your skin including the development of wrinkles and inflamed skin. 

Fortunately, there is a solution: antioxidants. Antioxidants are the natural predator of free radicals. Antioxidants are powerful substances that are able to reduce the damage caused by free radicals and also reduce the number of free radicals themselves. 

Ultimately, this will ensure that free radicals don't cause as much damage to the body and especially not your skin. Sea moss in particular is packed with antioxidants. By using sea moss on your skin regularly, you can make sure that your skin stays as healthy as possible. 

The great thing is that you will never run out of this type of antioxidant because it is sustainable. Harvesting it also won't harm the environment.

Sustainable Sea Moss Is Great for Any Skin Type

Oily skin, dry skin, combination skin, and acne-prone skin all have their own needs. You usually can't treat multiple skin types with the same product. Otherwise, at least one of the skin types would suffer.

For example, while you can treat dry skin with a rich moisturizer, you can't use it on someone with oily skin. Otherwise, that person's skin would be shinier and greasier than ever. This is not to mention that many moisturizers and serums are not sustainable.

But sea moss is unique because you can use it on any skin type. The reason for that is that sea moss is a very gentle skincare ingredient. Even though it lives in extreme and harsh environments, the sea moss itself did not inherit any of that harshness. 

Because sea moss is so versatile, it can provide the right care for your skin, regardless of your skin type. For example, suppose that your skin is usually dry. By using sea moss on your skin a few times a week, you will see that your skin will start to feel more hydrated.

That's because the sea moss will be able to help your skin hold onto its natural moisture. Beyond that, it will be able to soothe any inflammation that might be causing your dry skin. But what if you have oily skin?

The great thing about sea moss is that it is not oily and does not leave an unpleasant slime on your skin. Many people have oily skin because they are overdoing it with oil removal. This will cause your skin to produce even more oil. 

But since sea moss is gentle and soothing, it can calm down your skin's oil production. At the same time, it can clean deeply. 

Sea Moss Is Perfect for Acne-Prone Skin

When it comes to using sea moss for acne removal, you may be doubtful. Acne can be stubborn. After using so many products that claim to make your acne disappear, you may have given up hope of having clear skin. 

But sea moss has some unique properties that ordinary acne-clearing products don't have. For example, sea moss is antibacterial. This is important for most forms of acne.

That's because most forms of acne are caused by bacteria. In particular, Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) causes acne. Once the bacteria invade your pores, it can cause inflammation that eventually turns into pimples. 

Since sea moss is antibacterial, it can kill off these harmful bacteria. That way, it will never have the chance to inflame your pores in the first place. But the benefits of sea moss for acne don't stop there. 

Some other forms of acne are caused by excessive oil or sebum production. When there is too much oil on the skin, it will start to clog pores. When this happens, the pore will become inflamed and a pimple will form.

Oily skincare products such as some moisturizers can also clog pores. Sea moss, on the other hand, is non-comedogenic. This means it will not clog your pores no matter how much you use. 

If you have sensitive, acne-prone skin, this is an important consideration. After all, many people with acne have to scrutinize every ingredient in a skincare product to make sure that it won't clog their pores. Sea moss will actually keep your pores clear.  

At the same time, it can moisturize your skin without leaving your skin excessively oily. And don't forget its antioxidant properties. Pimples are inflamed and by using an antioxidant, their inflammation will go down as a result.

Sea Moss Can Help Reduce Wrinkles

Sea moss such as our sustainable purple sea moss can do wonders when it comes to treating wrinkles. Many skincare products claim to be able to reduce the appearance of wrinkles but to no avail. This is important since wrinkles start to form in one's mid to late 20s. 

Each year you age, you will develop more and more wrinkles. For women who go through menopause, their skin will become especially thin and wrinkly. If none of your moisturizers and serums seem to be helping your wrinkles, it might be time to incorporate sea moss into your routine.

But how can a type of seaweed do anything to fight wrinkles, you ask? The reason is that sea moss can supplement the skin with important nutrients that can keep wrinkles at bay (and keep them from getting much worse). For example, young skin is full of elastin and collagen. 

Those two ingredients, especially collagen, are what makes young skin supple and flexible. But as we age, we start to lose a certain percentage of collagen every year. As a result, our skin will become thinner and more wrinkled. 

Fortunately, sea moss is rich in vitamin C. Vitamin C plays a huge part in the production of collagen and elastin. By putting it on your skin a few times a week, your skin's collagen production system will increase.

As a result, your skin will start to look younger and healthier in no time. And keep in mind that vitamin C (along with the sea moss itself) is an antioxidant. By using an antioxidant on your skin, you can prevent further damage to your skin and that means fewer wrinkles in the future. 

Sea Moss Is Sustainable

Eco-friendly skincare products are hard to come by. That's because many ingredients used in skincare products are not sustainable. As a result, the environment will suffer. 

But fortunately, sea moss is a sustainable option in the skincare industry. That's because of the way sea moss is able to grow.

Usually, plants are very needy and require the right soil, fertilizer, freshwater, and so on to be able to survive. But as we have seen, sea moss is very sturdy and doesn't need much to survive. 

Sea moss doesn't even need soil and it certainly doesn't need fresh water. Sea moss such as our gold sea moss comes from sustainable farms that support coastal communities. The way that farmers harvest sea moss creates only a very small carbon footprint. 

This is in contrast to ordinary farms which create huge carbon footprints and environmental damage that can be hard to erase. The larger a carbon footprint is, the more carbon is being pumped into the air. The more carbon there is, the harder it will be for plants and animals to live normal lives out in the wild.

But sea moss has another environmental benefit up its sleeve: it can produce tons of oxygen. Not only does sea moss produce oxygen, but it absorbs whatever carbon dioxide is in the air and then transforms it into oxygen. By growing more sea moss, it can act as a filter for the world's air by taking in toxic carbon dioxide and producing oxygen instead.

Few skincare products can boast of having such a powerful environmental benefit.

sustainable sea moss harvesting, supporting local communities

All about Sea Moss and Sustainability in Skincare

When it comes to sustainability in skincare, you can't forget about sea moss. Not only is it sustainable but it also is very beneficial for your skin. As an antioxidant, it can soothe any inflammation your skin might have.

It is also very moisturizing and it won't irritate your acne if you have sensitive skin. To learn more about sea moss in skincare, check out our products