 Seaweed. We eat it, bathe in it, and have it applied to our faces and bodies. For centuries we’ve relied upon this natural ingredient for its numerous beauty and health benefits. “Seaweed is pure protein for your body,” says Naz Toloui, vice president of education for Orlane, a French luxury skincare company. “the results you get from it are phenomenal. It has a natural tightening and firming effect. Seaweed body wraps, for example, are great for taking out toxins.” I tried a seaweed body treatment during a recent visit to the Thalasso Center and Spa at Paraiso de la Bonita in Puerto Morelos, Mexico. There was something primordial about the scent of the seaweed and being snugly wrapped after having my body painted with a poultice of “micro-blasted marine algae,” reportedly rich in vitamins and minerals. It was just what I needed after a long flight. Spa consultant Sylvia Sepielli, who crisscrosses the globe on a regular basis, is a huge proponent of seaweed and always makes sure to pack a seaweed bath product in her bag. “If I change one time zone, no big deal, but if it’s more than one, I really feel it,” she says. “To combat jet leg, I take seaweed baths for four days consecutively after I arrive. I’ve always found that’s what my body wants.”
Seaweed has detoxifying and slimming qualities, aids in collagen synthesis, and is naturally abundant in antioxidants and essential fatty acids, which help to protect cells from free radical damage while repairing already damaged cell membranes. “Seaweed masques assisted by aromatic essential oils promote drainage of lymph laden with metabolic waste,” explains Julie Raistrick, spa director at Montage resort & Spa in Laguna Beach, California. “Fresh plasma and oxygen replace the vacuum left by the toxins, which restores a clean ecosystem to the cells,” she says. Seaweed, she believes, is finally taking its rightful place as an important component in anti-aging spa programs.
valued for its ability to restore health, tone, and add vitality to the skin 0 be that through a masque, wrap, scrub, or bath - seaweed contains a multitude of minerals including zinc, copper, and silica (to energize the skin), as well as calcium and magnesium (to help relieve water retention).
 Brown algae, which are highly remineralizing to the body, have been traditionally used in slimming and rejuvenating regimens. Among the most active of these algae are the Laminaria, Fucus, Ascophyllum, Undaria (wakame), Macrocystis (Pacific bullwhip kelp), and Sargassum seaweeds. Laminaria algae are the richest in trace elements as well as beta-carotene, and vitamins K and B. Additionally, 50 percent of their bulk is in the form of mucopolysaccharides - such as alginic acid, fucoidan, laminarin, and mannitol - which have anti-inflammatory and healing properties.
The green family of algae is a rich source of vitamin C and chlorophyll - great for detoxifying the body and normalizing blood pressure. Examples of green algae include the Ulva commonly found along estuaries and the mouths of rivers, as well as plankton and chlorella micro-algae.
Great for sensitive and, especially, iodine-sensitive skin conditions, red algae are packed with amino acids, folic acid and mucopolysaccarides that gently stimulate skin without causing irritation. Red algae are also rich in essential fatty acids, such as the omega-3 and omega-6 oils, as well as gamma-linoleic and arachiodonic acids.
A unique species, white algae grow a natural calcium-magnesium shell and soothe irritated skin, help reduce bloat, and drain excess water. Together with blue-green algae, they are highly effective in the treatment of cellulite.
Concentrated in amino acids, blue-green algae, such as spirulina, have an abundance of chlorophyll and trace elements that stimulate cellular metabolism - the process that enables proper nutrient absorption and optimal cell function. (Blue-green algae is also a natural way to provide brilliant color to seaweed bath products.)
Most of the seaweed used in medicine, thalassotherapy, and in the beauty industry comes from Brittany, France. A few varieties are also found in the cold waters of Ireland and Iceland, but according to Gisele Brouillaud, president of Les Laboratoires Euroderm, the quality of seawater in those countries isn’t regulated.
 The seaweed you’ll find at a spa is definitely different from what you’ll find at your local beaches. Quality is dependent upon many things, such as were the seaweed comes from, its marine environment, and the way it’s processed. “A Laminaria Digitata seaweed from Peru, for example, has no chemical resemblance to Laminaria grown in the cold water currents of the North Atlantic,” explains Brouillaud, She notes that seawater, when used for therapeutic purposes, is strictly regulated. For example, bacteriological quality must be within established norms, plankton must be free of toxic species, and salinity of sweater must not vary more than 2 percent from that found in the deep sea. Brouillaud relies on her finely tuned sense of smell to distinguish the good from the bad. “A good seaweed has a nice high-tide smell,” she says. “A poor-quality product has a low-tide smell. In any case, while many people have had seaweed body wraps, few have had the opportunity to smell the seaweeds.” She attributes the lack of a sea scent to the fact that many body wrap products use minute amounts of ground seaweed, large quantities of inexpensive clay, and a lot of fragrance. Brouillaud adds, “It’s obvious that a product like this, in spite of this therapeutic claims, does not offer any health benefits.” In turn if you smell the sea while tightly wrapped in your spa suite, you are likely in for quite a treat. |
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