Why we need more awe, wonderment & seaweed

You’ll never see seaweed the same way again after learning about its role in carbon sequestration, ocean restoration and skin regeneration.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably a caring person – those who seek out simple, earthwise skincare usually are.

What goes onto your skin, into your body, and by extension, out to sea matters to you… but perhaps, like us, you feel a little careworn at times. A little overwhelmed by the magnitude of our environmental to-dos; the critical and collective task of turning this climate-changing, enviro-wrecking ship around. It’s heavy.

Fear not, for there is a foundational piece of activism puzzle that isn’t widely talked about; a different way to tend the planet that’s a whole lot lighter and more accessible.

We call it awe-tivism.

Embrace the power of awe-tivism

Awe-tivism (as opposed to act-ivism) involves states of awe, appreciation and wonderment for our living world, feelings that connect us to a wellspring of care and purpose.

By simply being present to nature’s magnificence and seeing ourselves as part of it, we tend to make better, kinder choices from a deeply authentic place. This is something Joanna Macy has been talking about for decades. Have you stumbled across her work?

The reason we were inspired to write about awe-tivism is because of seaweed.

Yes, seaweed.

Meet your underwater life support system

“The number of living creatures of all Orders, whose existence intimately depends on the kelp is wonderful.” – Charles Darwin 1845

Every breath you take is sponsored by seaweed. That’s because giant underwater kelp forests produce around 70% of the world’s oxygen (compared to rainforests which produce around 28%).

Seaweed can single-handedly sequester enough carbon dioxide to halt and reverse climate change (if those projects were supported around the world).

Supplementing the diets of livestock with just 1% Asparagopsis, a type of red seaweed native to Australia, reduces their methane burps/emissions by 95%.

And seaweed mops up problematic runoff and pollutants, buffers ocean acidity and cushions our coastline against the impact of strong swells and monster waves.

‘Farming’ seaweed – to achieve all these glorious benefits – is one of the most elegant endeavours out there because it requires no irrigation, no fertilisers, no pesticides and no fences.

Now that’s awe-some.

A bird’s eye view of seaweed

‘Seaweed’ is a general term, because there actually are over 12000 different species of marine plants and algaes that it refers to.

The three main types of seaweed are red, green and brown – and some can grow as fast as 35cm in a single day.

People and seaweed go way back. Archeological records show that 20,000 years ago humans were noshing on seaweed to sustain themselves as they travelled vast distances along the coast, and Pacific fisherpeople were modifying kelp forests to enhance their catch in 3000 BC.

Since ancient times, Japanese, Korean and Chinese cultures have revered seaweed for its unparalleled nutritional value, and in ye olde Europe – when food growing was ‘organic’ by default – peasant farmers spread seaweed over the soil as fertiliser.

These days you’d be amazed by how ubiquitous seaweed is in our food chain and industry, especially as a binder and thickener. There are seaweed extracts in ice cream, face cream and pharmaceuticals. Who knew?

The superest of superfoods

Seaweed is so very healthful for multiple reasons.

One is that it is filled with micronutrients from the sea, such as iodine and selenium, which we often struggle to get from food grown in depleted soils.

Another is the unique polysaccharides (long chain carbohydrates) that are both structurally and nutritionally epic. Thanks to their sticky, slippery nature they are used extensively in manufacturing as binders and thickeners; in pharmaceuticals; and in beauty care.

The cool thing is, these ‘seaweed carbs’ act as powerful antioxidants, antiinflammatories and show promise as anticancer agents too. Eat your nori, wakame, kelp and dulse, folks.

Make seaweed your beauty secret

It wouldn’t be a Bees article without acknowledging just how groovy this natural gift is for your skin and hair.

In fact, our founder Jill Saunders was onto the miracle of seaweed decades ago, using it as a foundational ingredient in her earliest soaps and creams.

There’s nothing like seaweed for gently exfoliating the skin, hydrating deeply with seaweed’s slippery moisture-locking properties, mopping up grease, impurities and toxins from face and hair, and working as a deep agent of repair and inflammation-quenching at the cellular level, reducing signs of ageing and boosting brightness and glow.

It is simply phenomenal.

Sustainable seaweed only, please

So, where does our seaweed come from? We’re proud to say that we source kelp from right here in Tasmania, from Marrawah on the north west coast.

This kelp grows in some of the purest, cleanest waters in the world, and is only harvested when  ‘storm cast’. Storm cast kelp is washed onto the beach and collected fresh by hand, rather than being taken from marine ecosystems where it is performing so many important functions.

We love that there’s such a big story behind this small team of committed ocean lovers who’ve been harvesting kelp in a gentle, sustainable way for years.

Want to feel the effects of kelp for yourself?

You’ll find fucus vesiculosus (seaweed) extract in all of our soap bars because it is simply the best for cleansing and nourishing the skin.

A customer favourite is our Tasmanian Seaweed Green Tea & Honey Soap Bar which has chunks of kelp and poppy seeds for satisfying scrubbiness, and a breezy scent.

You’ll also enjoy seaweed lushness in our Bioactive Honey Enzyme Peel and Glow that uses gentle enzymatic exfoliation to leave you fresher and sparklier than a merperson.

Excitingly, we’re launching a new product soon called Bioactive Tasmanian Seaweed and Honey Mud Mask that contains Tasmanian kelp extract – and you can probably guess how great that will feel on your skin. Keep an eye on our emails for updates – or sign up to receive them if you don’t already.

We hope this celebration of seaweed has inspired awe, wonderment and appreciation for one of earth’s most multi-talented organisms. Remember: loving the world with wild abandon is the first step in making it a better place, so go forth and admire!