11.15.23
Macro Oceans, a California-based seaweed biotech startup, has launched a low-carbon cosmetic bioactive compound. The company’s Hydrating Marine Polysaccharide ingredient provides clinically proven hydration for skin and hair care products.
“Cosmetic customers want natural products that actually work and supply chains they can be proud of,” said CEO Matthew Perkins. “Today, with this product, cosmetic brands no longer have to choose. Not only does our product work, but it’s also 100% made in the US and really good for the environment.”
Macro Oceans sources all its seaweed from farms located in the cold waters of Alaska. The seaweed is rich in natural polysaccharides which it isolates using gentle green chemistry. The resulting ingredient provides excellent hydration for skin and hair care products, according to the Sacramento-based company that was founded in 2020. Hydrating Marine Polysaccharides has shown statistically significant increases in skin hydration in third-party testing.
Macro Ocean’s process is also zero waste; the parts of the seaweed that aren't bioactive are used in food products or plant based packaging, it says. Farmed seaweed is a naturally regenerative carbon-negative crop, improving water quality and wild ecosystems.