What is Blue Beauty? The Complete Guide to Ocean Skincare Trends in 2025

Walk into any beauty retailer right now, and you'll notice seaweed has officially taken over the skincare aisle. From algae-infused serums to kelp masks promising a marine glow, blue beauty—the global beauty movement centered on ocean-derived ingredients and sustainable practices—has become one of the most significant trends in skincare. With World Oceans Day celebrated this month, there’s no better moment to honor the sea’s impact on our beauty routines.

But not everyone is convinced by the wave of new launches. Vogue recently warned readers to take “blue beauty” claims with a large pinch of salt, putting into perspective what many skincare enthusiasts suspected: The seaweed ingredient boom has created plenty of products that don't deliver on their eco-friendly and ocean-friendly promises.

The surge isn't marketing hype, though. There's legitimate scientific evidence behind why specific beauty brands incorporate marine botanicals, with research showing that certain seaweed compounds offer remarkable skin benefits. The reality? Not all ocean-derived skincare products feature these nutrients, and understanding why can help you make more informed choices for your skin.

At Repêchage, we've been incorporating ocean-friendly ingredients into our collections since 1980, decades before the term “blue beauty” became a buzzword. Our founder, Lydia Sarfati, has spent over 40 years researching how to harness the ocean's most potent elements for skincare. As she explains, seaweed represents “a powerful concentration of seawater,” with one liter containing “the same concentration of elements found in 10,000 liters of seawater.” The challenge is knowing how to preserve the compounds during processing for future use.

Read along to discover what makes Repêchage's ocean-derived skincare genuinely effective, what you should look for when shopping, and why some seaweed products offer transformative results while others ride the trend.

Understanding Blue Beauty

So, what exactly is blue beauty, and why are skincare brands suddenly obsessed with seaweed? The real excitement about the movement is understanding that it stems from legitimate research. The breakthrough focuses on polysaccharides (long-chain sugars that help bind moisture) found in brown kelp, which feature seaweed benefits for skin health.

Sarfati explains that specific seaweeds can be used to provide numerous positive skincare results, including: 

• Reducing the appearance of oil

• Diminishing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles

• Exfoliating the skin for a more luminous-looking complexion

• Moisturizing the skin to make it feel and look soft and smooth

The effects have been described as “remarkable” by a Danish researcher, while a British scientist wrote that macroalgae derivatives (specific compounds or extracts pulled from seaweeds) are “renowned for their myriad biological benefits.”

Here’s why those seaweed molecules pack such a punch for your skin: As Sarfati explains, “seaweeds have no roots, stems, or leaves but rather have parallel structures” that allow them to “uptake minerals by absorption” directly from seawater. This process produces seaweed, such as the beloved Laminaria Digitata, packed with 12 vitamins, 42 trace elements, and 18 amino acids, lending properly formulated marine skincare its transformative potential.

Expert Seaweed Skincare Matters

The ocean skincare boom has brought exciting innovations, but it has also revealed that not every seaweed skincare product is created equal. The difference often comes down to two factors: sourcing quality and extraction methods.

These are crucial because, as Sarfati's research shows, seaweeds like Repêchage's Laminaria Digitata contain “potent bioactive compounds” that are incredibly beneficial for skin but only when properly handled. The extraction process determines whether you get those powerful elements or just expensive, ineffective seaweed water.

The compounds are delicate, though. Processing methods that are too harsh can destroy the very molecules that make these ingredients useful, while overly gentle techniques may not extract enough concentrated nutrients. 

That’s why Repêchage responsibly sources seaweed from pristine waters off the coast of Down East Maine, sustainably hand-harvesting during low tides. Unlike other manufacturers who use harsh oven-drying methods, our seaweed is air dried under a covered roof. Next, our proprietary extraction process preserves all beneficial nutrients while pulling out the powerful fluid inside the cells. This pure filtrate is then refrigerated in small batches for six months to maximize its effectiveness before being blended into our products.

This experience translates into safe products that deliver results rather than clever marketing.

5 Tips for Buying Blue Beauty Skincare

Navigating the blue beauty skincare wave becomes easier when you understand what makes ocean-friendly ingredients actually effective. Here’s what to look for: 

1. Look for specificity. Quality brands list exact seaweed species (like Laminaria Digitata or Ascophyllum Nodosum) rather than vague terms like “marine botanicals,"  “sea extracts,” or "algae." If you can't tell what type they're using, that's your first red flag.

2. Ask about extraction methods. This is where you'll quickly separate the experts from the trend-hoppers. Brands that understand marine science will be transparent about how they preserve compounds. If they can't explain their process or seem unfamiliar with terms like polysaccharides, you're likely looking at a surface-level formulation.

3. Check ingredient placement. Marine ingredients should be prominently listed on ingredient labels to provide meaningful benefits. Given that quality seaweed extracts contain such concentrated mineral profiles, they need a substantial presence in formulations to be effective.

4. Research the brand's marine expertise. Does the company have a history of involvement in oceanographic research, or are they jumping on a trend? Look for brands that discuss sourcing locations, harvesting methods, and the science behind their ingredients.

5. Beware of buzzword overload. If the marketing focuses more on trendy terminology than actual benefits, proceed with caution. Real marine skincare lets the science speak for itself.

The Ocean's Gift to Your Skin

This World Oceans Day and throughout the month, it’s important to celebrate the sea's role in skincare innovation. The same oceans we're working to protect have offered us some of beauty's most powerful ingredients—those complex compounds that deliver genuine results when handled with proper care.

As blue beauty keeps making waves, remember that real ocean skincare comes from brands that care about both results and eco-friendly practices. Our Hydro-Complex® PFS Moisturizing Cream for Dry Skin or C-Serum Seaweed Filtrate are two easy ways to experience decades of seaweed science in action.