ALL AT SEA
What lies beneath? Only the hottest new active ingredients
Reasons why beach holidays are the best: one, sea air will batter even the gnarliest hangover out of you; two, lifeguards are never unattractive; and three, that enormous body of water staring you in the face? It does wonders for your skin.
Legend has it that Mark Antony tried to woo Cleopatra by offering her the Dead Sea as her personal spa (#couplegoals), which is all well and good, but what of those of us who don’t have a Roman general cordoning off a bit of the Costa Blanca? Happily, a growing number of skincare brands are bottling that marine magic for you. While the shift towards natural beauty has been gaining momentum for the past decade, now the focus is specifically on pure ingredients harnessed from the ecosystem that match properties within the human body. And so, to the beach. ‘Seawater contains all the elements human cells use to stimulate the repair and regeneration of the body,’ says Philip Tanswell, MD of Cornish Sea Salt Co. It’s why a dip can get your blood pumping, sharpen your senses and leave skin feeling firmer. ‘Cosmetically, seawater has been used in spa treatments for centuries to minimise swelling, help reduce symptoms of eczema and psoriasis and plump and firm the skin,’ adds Tanswell.
What lies beneath the water is worth your time, too. Take seaweed: not only is it one of the fastest-growing organisms on earth – effortlessly regenerating – ‘it’s also packed with a wide range of vitamins, minerals, fibre and immune-boosting phytonutrients,’ says Tim van Berkel, MD of The Cornish Seaweed Company. Add these regenerating properties to your skincare regime and you’ll be rewarded with a luminous complexion, according to the beauty innovaters. Same goes for algae. ‘Algae lives on tidal plains, so it has inbuilt protection from dehydration and sun exposure,’ says Tanswell. ‘When transferred to skincare, these properties help to hydrate, soften and detoxify skin.’ Turns out the ocean really is worth its salt – come on in, the water’s fine.