Lianna Albrizio, Assistant Editor 09.28.22
When it comes to easing stress, self-help gurus have long offered the following sound advice: Feeling anxious? Go for a walk. Depressed? Phone a friend. Need inspiration? Take a shower.
According to BusinessInsider, the latter is where 72% of people get their best ideas. The statistic was gathered from an online summit organized by psychologist Ron Friedman, founder of Ignite80, which featured his discussions with more than two dozen of the world’s top productivity experts, which included Adam Grant, Gretchen Rubin and Scott Barry Kaufman. Kaufman, a cognitive scientist and coauthor of “Wired to Create,” described a study he conducted, which showed that 72% of people get creative ideas in the shower, and highlighted the effects relaxation has on creative thinking.
Seaweed Bath Co. creates a similar effect on the user, according to brand cofounder Allison Grossman, and the bath and personal care products go beyond washing the day away. Every shower with the products, which are infused with hand-harvested bladderwrack seaweed as the key ingredient, provide a chance for consumers to “unlock the magic of the sea,” the founders say. Indeed, its line of invigorating body and shower products are designed to ignite the senses, from the aromatic grapefruit body wash to the peppermint and eucalyptus-infused shampoo and conditioner duo, which offer healing and refreshment properties. A melt-in water lotion with sea grape and beta-glucan make for extra hydration post-shave.
After a year on the market, the brand is undergoing a rebrand in the form of new packaging and pricing. Holographic illusory silver grooves wrap around the bottles in the form of waves made from post-consumer resin. The startup brand is cutting the price on 18 of its SKUs by an average of 20%.
Grossman sees the move as a way to tickle the senses of repeat customers while piquing the interest of prospective shoppers that include Millennials and Gen Z-aged consumers who value the brand’s dedication to clean beauty.
“We’re constantly evolving the brand and innovating and coming out with new products,” said Grossman. “We wanted to mentally and physically evoke that love for the ocean in our packaging.”
The Boulder, CO-based company anticipates that the price reductions will help drive a 50% increase in retail sales among its 5,000-plus retail locations around the US, which include Albertsons, Wegmans and Whole Foods as well as e-commerce.
A Seaweed Odyssey
The brand is based at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, but the founders—husband and wife team Allison and Adam Grossman—were living in Miami working as a realtor and litigator, respectively, when they were fascinated by seaweed’s long-lasting, hydrational benefits. Adam Grossman had been searching for relief from psoriasis when garnering the expert opinions from top scientists led the couple to learn about the dermatological benefits of organic Atlantic seaweed (fucus vesiculosus). The Grossmans made this ingredient the star of each of Seaweed Bath Co.’s products, which also contain more than 65 vitamins, minerals and nutrients to nourish skin and hair.
Other marine ingredients used in the products are vitamin A and C-rich sea grape; sea kale, a salt-tolerant flowering plant that grows along the coast and helps revitalize, soothe and smooth skin; and kelp, colossal brown algae native to the Pacific Ocean that contains ultra-hydrating alginic acid. All products are cruelty-free, vegan and free from gluten, sulfates and parabens.
Seaweed Bath Co.’s purpose-driven mission to support conservation efforts is another consumer draw, according to the brand. To fulfill its long-term goal to bolster ocean conservation, Seaweed Bath has partnerships with Pacific Marine Mammal Center and Marine Mammal Center. The Marine Mammal Center, a global leader in marine mammal health, science and conservation, is the largest marine mammal hospital in the world and has rescued more than 24,000 marine mammals in California and Hawaii since its inception in 1975. The Pacific Marine Mammal Center is a nonprofit that specializes in the rescue, rehabilitation and release of injured and stranded marine mammals. It also inspires ocean stewardship through science-based education programs.
“We researched organizations that would be good partnerships that could make a difference and build long-lasting relationships with,” said Grossman. “We’re animal and beach lovers. This brand came out of developing products out of a personal need that turned into something bigger.”