This brand is using a beauty ingredient that’s natural, sustainable, effective and right on our doorstep …
All products featured on thegloss.ie are selected by our editors. If you buy something through affiliate links on our site we may earn a commission.
In beauty, everyone’s always touting the latest “wonder ingredient” – whether it’s niacinamide, salmon sperm or snail mucin (yep, that’s a thing). It’s easy to feel sceptical about the purported benefits. But when it comes to seaweed, there’s no hard sell needed. With its natural minerals and beautiful soft oils, this sustainable ingredient features in some of Ireland’s best skin and body care, from Modern Botany to Voya to Seavite, Little Red to Green Angel.
Nutrients in certain seaweeds promote collagen production, reducing inflammation, while increasing micro circulation and skin elasticity. Seaweed extract can help to hydrate and plump the skin while being gentle, with healing properties making it a good option for those with sensitive skin and even rosacea. If you’ve ever swam in the sea, you’ll know how good you feel afterwards, from mind and body to your skin (we recommend Bella Freud’s Fashion Neurosis podcast to hear her and Nick Cave rave about the benefits … who’d have thought).
WASI
The most recent seaweed-powered beauty brand I’ve come across is Wasi; a skin, bath and body line created by Claire O’Sullivan in Bantry, Co Cork. O’Sullivan makes everything from seaweed soap, and infused body, beard and facial oils, as well as bath salts and body scrubs, by hand. This small family business covers everything themsleves, from the making – hand harvesting, washing, drying, infusing, blending, sterilising and bottling – to PR and marketing. Wasi is the definition of small-batch beauty.
O’Sullivan, who grew up on a farm in West Cork, says that seaweed is more than an ingredient: it’s a passion. “For many generations in Ireland, gathering and spreading seaweed on the land was key to encouraging fertility and a successful harvest. Seaweed played a fundamental role in the health of the soil.”
Why skincare? “Skincare is only as good as its ingredients. Irish seaweeds are rich in vitamins, trace elements and iodine, and we want to capture and celebrate this,” says O’Sullivan. For her, seaweed offers “the perfect harmony of vitamins, minerals and trace elements unparalleled in the plant kingdom, and represents the transformative power of nature that is sustainable and accessible for all to use.”
The team behind Wasi is delighted to be shortlisted for the Sustainability Award at Showcase Ireland. And O’Sullivan is currently in product development with a new seaweed cream, set to land this summer. For now, check out their body oil with soft scents of rosemary and bergamot (€28), and treat yourself to a bag of seaweed for your bath (€25). You can use it three times or it makes a lovely restorative gift. There’s a gift set featuring the full collection, from seaweed soap to body scrub (€95); a unique souvenir for anyone visiting Ireland or missing the scent of the sea. We’re adding a Seaweed and Salt Chocolate bar (€8.50) to our order, too …
AND MORE …
I bought seaweed sprinkles by Ebb and Flow recently, a lovely way to add flavour to soups or stews, while boosting your gut health. You can find them Kilruddery’s lovely farm market in Dublin every Saturday (pick up their Seaweed Pesto, too).
Also check out the Connemara Seaweed Company, run by Noel Lee in Lettermullen. The Lee family harvest kelp and seaweed for food and beauty: check out the online store and recipes. I love the idea of their Carrageen Moss Face Mask, which is said to be helpful for oily or acne-prone skin, with antibacterial properties.
