Celebrating Ocean's Natural Beauty Secret: Seaweed. Plus, How Repêchage Harnesses This Powerful Ingredient

While it's true there is a national holiday for almost everything these days, we couldn't let National Seaweed Day pass without giving it a proper shout-out. This holiday, celebrated on June 4, recognizes seaweed's importance and diverse benefits. It’s a day we hold close to our hearts as it celebrates the very ingredient that sparked the creation of Repêchage Skincare in 1980: Laminaria Digitata. 

 

The core of our product line lies in the pure essence of seaweed—our exclusive filtrate, meticulously crafted through a unique extraction process. Bursting with potent phytonutrients, it's the ultimate beauty secret from the ocean depths. Discover more about how this supercharged ingredient helps in achieving a radiant glow. 

What Are the Benefits of Seaweed in Skincare?

We always say that if seaweed can hydrate the desert, imagine what it can do for your skin! That’s because this ingredient naturally increases hydration and improves complexion—plus, it’s believed that it helps form over 70 percent of the earth's oxygen. Using a unique proprietary process, Repêchage chemists extract fluid from seaweed, preserving its vitamins, minerals, trace elements, and amino acids to help skin lock in moisture, draw out toxins and impurities from the skin, reduce redness and irritation, and so much more. 

Which Seaweeds Does Repêchage Use?  

At Repêchage, our commitment to innovation drives us to continuously explore seaweed’s potential and discover new ingredients to address various skin concerns. Here are a few sustainably sourced seaweeds used in our products: 

Laminaria Digitata

Naturally found in the upper intertidal and shallow subtidal marine environments, our beloved Laminaria Digitata is a natural source of 12 vitamins, including B12, C, E, K, beta carotene, 18 amino acids, and 42 trace elements. 

Codium Fragile Subsp. Atlanticum

With branched cylindrical fronds, this green seaweed attaches to rocks in intertidal-to-shallow subtidal marine environments. It helps make the skin appear smooth and soft. 

Ascophyllum Nodosum

A brown seaweed that flourishes in the upper intertidal and shallow subtidal marine regions of the North Atlantic Ocean. It contains high levels of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fucoidan, and alginic acid. 

Porphyridium SPP. - Micro Alga

A red, unicellular seaweed high in essential fatty acids and vitamins B and C.

How Do We Source Our Seaweed? 

Repêchage’s commitment to sustainability extends to every step of the production process, particularly in sourcing our primary ingredient: seaweed. Along the coast of Maine, we collaborate with experts to responsibly harvest nutrient-rich seaweed species and choose only the purest seaweed from pristine waters, like those off the coast of Down East Maine.

Our harvesting methods blend tradition and innovation. We carefully gather seaweed either by hand during low tides or by cultivating it on ropes suspended in seawater. After harvest, we gently air dry the seaweed to preserve its natural goodness and send it to our ISO 9001-certified facility. While other manufacturers of seaweed-based products use an oven-drying method of processing, our exclusive method keeps all the beneficial vitamins, minerals, and amino acids while extracting the intercellular fluid. This unique process creates a pure filtrate in small artisanal batches, filling the entire facility with the delightful scent of a beach day.  

This potent filtrate is refrigerated for 3-4 months to maximize its effectiveness before being incorporated into Repêchage products. Nothing is purer or more effective at making skin smoother and softer.

Seaweed All-Stars  

Repêchage's product lineup is rich in seaweed extracts, with standout options like the C-Serum Seaweed Filtrate Serum and the Hydro-Complex PFS Moisturizing Cream formulated for both dry and oily to combination skin types. 

Our premier daily facial serum features our potent, sustainably harvested Laminaria Digitata seaweed extract, designed to replenish moisture and deliver a radiant complexion. It’s lightweight, oil-free, and helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Whether used alone or under moisturizer, it offers an added hydration boost, leaving your skin smoother and more vibrant. The award-winning moisturizer hydrates the skin without any heaviness. Its distinctive silky consistency applies effortlessly and blends Laminaria Digitata and Ascophyllum Nodosum Seaweeds, lactic acid, and niacinamide/Vitamin B3, which work together to rejuvenate your skin.

Try our Seaweed Body Contouring Mask for a special spa treatment. Drawing inspiration from the European Thalassotherapy tradition, this body mask blends mint and pure seaweed extracts like Laminaria Digitata and Ascophyllum Nodosum with kaolin clay. It works wonders in softening the skin, enhancing its appearance with a toned and firm look. The mask is warmed and applied to the body. It’s also an excellent treatment for soothing tired, achy muscles. 

So go ahead and embrace National Seaweed Day. Dive into our seaweed-infused skincare collection and discover the transformative power of nature's bounty. Whether you're trying a new product or simply showing gratitude for the wonders of seaweed, let's make June 4 a day to celebrate — all in the name of beauty!