What is Red Seaweed?
Red seaweed is a type of marine algae that belongs to the plant kingdom (vegan, big tick from Tailor). It is one of the largest and most diverse groups of algae, with thousands of species found in oceans worldwide.
Recent years have seen the beauty industry revolutionise into natural and sustainable ingredients aka Red Seaweed (the type of change we like to see). With Red Seaweed’s remarkable properties and abundance of essential nutrients, it has emerged this ingredient as a game-changer in the world of skincare (of course, why do you think we’ve chosen it).
How is Red Seaweed beneficial as a skincare ingredient?
Hydration and Moisturization
The most boast-worthy advantage about Red Seaweed in skincare is its “hydrating and plumping effect”, as well as its ability to retain moisture. It is a natural humectant, meaning it has the ability to attract and retain moisture. These benefits are “attributed to the various mix of versatile biomimetic sulphated gycosaminoglycans (sGAG). These natural biopolymers are known to form a fish-net like matrix that can help hold water molecules, while also acting as a structural scaffold to tighten the skin.” This characteristic will particularly support dehydrated skin. This will leave your skin feeling soft and well-nourished (now, that would be a dream).
Rich Source of Antioxidants
Red Seaweed is packed with antioxidant properties aka liquid gold for your skin. "Marine seaweed species represent an important source of bioactive compounds possessing antioxidant activity." These are like our personal bodyguards, they neutralise harmful free radicals, because they’re responsible for causing premature aging and damaging to the skin. But don’t worry, if Red Seaweed is in your skincare routine, it’ll combat oxidative stress and achieve a youthful and radiant complexion (now that caught your eye, didn't it!).
Brightens and Evens Skin Tone
Red seaweed contains phytonutrients (plant nutrients) that can inhibit melanin production (stimulated by UV damage) and reduce the appearance of dark spots. As a result, introducing Red Seaweed into your skincare routine will lead to a brighter and more even complexion with topical and long term use. "The extracts of red seaweed Asparagopsis armata, Gelidium corneum, Corallina officinalis had skin softness, whitening/lightening, and elasticity restoring anti-aging properties so they can be used as skincare products including creams..." This characteristic will benefit hyperpigmentation and an uneven skin tone.
Why did we choose Red Seaweed in our new product, Tailor Restore?
We recently launched Tailor Restore, a luxuriously rich nurturing overnight balm, with hero ingredient Red Seaweed. However, as you can imagine, finding an ingredient that provides health focused benefits that support the product itself and how it’s used, where it’s made (distance to NZ) and the working conditions, making sure it’s vegan, cruelty free and eco-conscious, is not an easy checklist to tick off. Therefore, coming across this natural bioactive ingredient in the product development stage was like finding gold, at least that’s what we imagine it to feel like. It’s remarkable benefits and abundance of essential nutrients was just unmatched. On top of this, sourcing it through Organic Bioactives in New Zealand was very important as “New Zealand’s native species have the advantage of growing in the country’s clean, pristine and nuclear-free waters which are infused with sub Antarctic streams rich in minerals.” Other bonuses to this is, it further reduced our carbon footprint, localised production, and supported a local supplier. It really ticked Tailor’s long list of requirements (and that’s not easy, we’re high maintenance). Overall, this ingredient represents a powerful quality of Tailor, to think outside the box and be resourceful to lead to an innovative solution.
How does Red Seaweed fit into your night time routine?
Our range has been formulated to be mixed, matched and tailored to your skin. Here is how we recommend Red Seaweed, aka Restore to be tailored to your routine:
Illume / Mixing Restore with Bakuchiol, aka Illume, together with their combined strong anti-aging properties will reduce fine lines, plump and refine skin, leading to a more youthful complexion. You would apply this as a last step in your nighttime routine.
Renew / Mixing Restore with Probiotic Lysate and Grape Seed Extract, aka Renew, together with their strong cell regeneration properties and ability to combat UV free radical damage, will strengthen skin, reduce fine lines and improve elasticity and firmness. You would apply this after your cleanser in your nighttime routine.
Hydrate / Mixing Restore with Hyaluronic Acid, aka Hydrate will together increase your skin’s elasticity, giving a more plump complexion. You would apply this after Renew in your nighttime routine.
Gold Dust / Mixing Restore with (1 pinch) Vitamin C, aka Gold Dust will together give the skin a brighter and lighter complexion. You would apply this after Hydrate, before Illume in your nighttime routine.
We’re very proud to showcase Red Seaweed as one of the innovative hero ingredients that has formulated Restore, utilising its health-focused benefits for our skin.
Recommendations:
- Patch test Tailor Restore on the inside of your upper arm, as this area is most sensitive, so it will be a true test, especially if you have skin sensitivities or allergies. You can head to your local Farmers to use their tester.
- Read the directions of use before applying this product.
References:
Organic Bioatices New Zealand (n.d.). OceanDerMX ® BALANCE & BRIGHTEN. https://organicbioactives.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/OceanDerMX_Balance-Brighten_May22.pdf
(n.d.). Rimu - New Zealand native Red Seaweed. Organic Bioactives New Zealand. https://organicbioactives.com/rimu-new-zealand-native-red-seaweed/#:~:text=Compared%20to%20the%20red%20seaweeds,Antarctic%20streams%20rich%20in%20minerals.
Maghraby, Y. R., Farag, M. A., Kontominas, M. G., Shakour, Z. T., & Ramadan, A. R. (2022). Nanoencapsulated Extract of a Red Seaweed (Rhodophyta) Species as a Promising Source of Natural Antioxidants. ACS Omega. https://doi.org/https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsomega.1c05517
Ismail, M. M., Alotaibi, B. S., & EL-Sheekh, M. M. (2020). Therapeutic Uses of Red Macroalgae. Molecules. https://doi.org/https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/19/4411