People no longer want beauty products which have a lot of chemicals in them as they could be harmful and have side effects. Sea ingredient beauty products are becoming very popular nowadays,  because they are said to be safe on the body and do not contain chemicals. Take for example seaweed extract products.  “They contain lipids, proteins, minerals, and vitamins. These are easy to absorb and hence moisturise and nourish the skin”, says Ms Mythili, Senior Beauty advisor of CNI range of beauty products. She goes on to say,  “Seaweed penetrates the skin easily and makes it soft, supple, smooth and firm. Seaweed beauty products can be used by everyone as they are suited for all skin types”.

Different types of seaweeds are used in various products like body wash, soaps, shampoos, conditioners, creams and lotions. “ One could find the best algae and seaweed growing in Hawaii, Brazil and off the coast of France because here they are free from pollution. There are a variety of seaweed and algae used in beauty products.Green, blue, brown and red to name a few.”says Ms Mythili. Beauty therapist Ms Manjul Gupta said, “Sea ingredients are becoming quite popular in facials, body wraps, pedicure, manicure and also in body exfoliation. They  contain  a lot of minerals which hydrate nourish and exfoliate the body. They are very gentle on your skin, so they can even be used in under eye treatment.”

Looking back into history, the use of these ingredients dates back to the early 1500s. In those days seaweeds and sea salts were used mainly for physical therapy and  to cure rheumatism. Over the years, they gained popularity the world over and were used in ointments and creams. But today, these sea ingredient products for body and skin care are manufactured by some of the most popular cosmetic brands in the world.

But one would always want some expert advice on how these ingredients from the sea work on the skin and whether they are good or bad. Dr Venkataram, a dermatologist says, “ Sea ingredients in beauty and clinical products have never been proved to be good or bad for the skin. These are rarely used clinically because a lot of research work has to be done before they can be used. Repetitive usage could result in pigmentary changes in the skin.”  “ Sea ingredients booster benefit the skin in many ways.They re-balance, nourish, hydrate, detoxify and oxygenate the skin. They also help in cell regeneration to a great extent,” counters Ms Mythili. 

So next time you got out shopping for skin care products make sure you try sea ingredient based products and notice the difference.