Seabody skincare
Back to Journal + Musings
Seabody is an advanced regenerative luxury skincare brand with a niche concept: utilising the regenerative power of ocean algae from the Irish Atlantic coastline to create high efficacy products powered by sustainable cellular biotech. The curated plant-based skin and wellness range is the brainchild of Dr Helena Mcmahon, a trailblazing cellular biochemist; since she grew up by Ireland’s sea-line, she is inherently well placed to formulate the next generation marine bio-actives that the Seabody skincare range is based around. I caught up with Seabody to find out more.
The Seabody range immediately piqued my interest due to its meeting of advanced cellular based science with the ‘plant-based superfood’ seaweed. I have been taking sea kelp (known for its high levels of iodine) as a daily supplement over many years and noticed profound benefits including strengthened immunity and hair growth. Whilst sea kelp is a type of seaweed, it is only one of ten thousands of different types of marine algae species and specifically is only found in rocky coastlines and saltwater. As a sensitive skin sufferer who has experienced extreme stress in my life, triggering conditions such as psoriasis (exacerbated by Covid), I was intrigued as to how I could find similar efficacy for my skin through the marine algae family.
Enter Seabody: a curated edit of luxury skincare as well as supplements (and wellness experiences) that fuse science led, sustainable solutions. Dr Helena Mcmahon has been ahead of the curve in championing cell biology; she brings together years of expertise in biotechnology, cellular therapeutics and bioactive natural ingredients all into the Seabody skin edit.
I specifically chose to test the Hydrogel Mask Cleanser, Aquasurge Day Serum and Glycan Enrich Moisturiser. The Hydrogel Mask Cleanser appealed to me because I have long struggled to find a cleanser that ‘did the job’ of deep cleansing in one (I don’t follow micro trends such as the ‘double cleanse’) but that didn’t feel cloggy or just sit on the skin surface. This cleanser is multi-purpose as it also can double up as a leave on, deep hydrating mask so the texture is light enough that it can be layered up – leaving it on for 15 mins to cleanse away all impurities whilst softening skin is now part of my daily routine. The Aquasurge Day Serum has become a hero product in my routine: as someone who favours serums as a morning staple but could never find a day formulation that had the same efficacy as a rich evening product, this high-tech formulation is so skin enhancing you can see the radiant effects immediately. The texture is so refined it glides into the skin like silk; hydrating, plumping and combatting wrinkles and lines whilst easily sitting beneath a makeup layer. The Glycan Enrich Moisturiser can be used morning or evening – as Dr Mcmahon doesn’t believe in the necessity of two different formulations for each. This supercharged biotech moisturiser isn’t overly textured so it can work used over the serum as well: it seeps deep into the skin epidermis working with the skin’s natural microbiome to reinforce the skin barrier. Worked into the skin layers with a plumping motion, it has a gently firming and volumizing effect, whilst hydrating and softening fine lines, also supporting the crepe of the neck and decolletage area.
The Seabody products work so seamlessly together perhaps due to a base formula created from the same revolutionary hero ingredient, Maraderm. Dr Mcmahon’s uniquely devised advanced ingredient, Maraderm is a blend of high purity bioactives that support the key building blocks of healthy and youthful skin: for instance, lab tests show that it creates a 60% increase in collagen production in dermal cells, also supporting the skin’s microbiome and elastin synthesis. Other nourishing ingredients include Seabuckthorn Fruit Extract, Niacinamide, Hyaluronic acid (Aquasurge Day Serum), Ceramides, Squalene, Niacinamide and Algal Oil (Glycan Enrich Moisturiser) and Marafucodian, Phytomara, Squalene, Vitamin E, Niacinamide (Hydrogel Mask Cleanser). Clinical tests show 33% increase in collagen production, 46% increase in skin firmness across different products.
Dr Mcmahon explains, ‘Seaweed has been used for thousands of years topically for its hydration, healing, and anti-inflammatory benefits, but these familiar health benefits come from less than 5% of the plant. Seabody’s proprietary biotech is focused on unlocking the remaining 95% of the plant that gives seaweed its superfood status. We have unlocked an amazing array of bioactive molecules, such as Fucoidan, beta Glucan and polyphenols, which interact with human cells, like a lock and key turning key cellular pathways on and off.’