Kelp CoLab Helps Beauty Brands Bring Regenerative Ocean-Farmed Ingredients To Market

A new initiative backed by regenerative ocean farming nonprofit GreenWave is giving beauty brands a chance to pioneer climate-resilient ingredient innovation by co-developing kelp-based actives and products that meet commercial formulation needs.

Kelp CoLab is recruiting up to 10 beauty and wellness brands to participate in the innovation program. Participants will work directly with formulation scientists and seaweed ingredient supplier Macro Oceans to develop, test and commercialize functional kelp ingredients tailored to skincare and haircare product needs.

Beyond R&D, the program serves as a launchpad for breakthrough beauty, providing brands with the means to advance the next generation of ocean-powered bioactives. With early access to kelp grown in the United States, brands can unlock clinically relevant benefits like hydration, barrier support and texture refinement, delivered with full traceability and regenerative sourcing. The goal is to accelerate the adoption of kelp-based ingredients in beauty while helping brands lead on performance and sustainability without compromise.

“Brands are excited about kelp, but we hear the same thing again and again, ‘We love the idea, we just don’t know how to work with it,’” says Grace Collery, senior market development program manager at GreenWave. “Kelp CoLab is designed to change that by giving brands a direct role in shaping ingredient innovation.”

Kelp CoLab participants will receive fully funded R&D support, including ingredient development, testing and formulation work. Brands will be able to lead on formulation development with the chance to influence the scientific direction of that research based on their product goals and performance claims.

Along with technical support, the initiative emphasizes peer collaboration, storytelling and supply chain transparency. The kelp used in Kelp CoLab will be sourced from GreenWave’s decade-strong network of regenerative ocean farms across North America. Participating brands will be able to visit the kelp farms and meet independent kelp farmers.

“Unlike many marine ingredients with opaque supply chains, this program is built on full traceability,” points out Collery. “That’s a critical differentiator in today’s values-driven beauty market.”

Kelp is a type of brown macroalgae that falls under the broader categories of seaweed and algae. It’s particularly valued for its nutrient density and bioactive compounds. Kelp grows in oceans around the world, but the species used in Kelp CoLab are cold-water varieties cultivated through regenerative ocean farming on the East and West Coasts of North America. 

Kelp offers a wide range of skin and scalp benefits thanks to its bioactive compounds, polysaccharides and polyphenols, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and microbiome-supporting properties. The ingredient also shows promise for supporting barrier repair, improving hydration, reducing redness and enhancing hair growth.

Kelp adds functional value in formulation as well. Its long-chain sugars can improve viscosity, stabilize suspension and bolster even distribution in complex product systems, making it relevant for brands focused on texture and sensorial performance.

According to GreenWave’s director of market development Sam Garwin, Kelp CoLab aims to explore kelp’s potential as a replacement for carbon-intensive or synthetic actives in popular formats such as serums, moisturizers, and scalp care. “We’re not asking whether kelp works, it does,” says Garwin. “The real question is: How does it work, and how can it integrate into modern formulation systems in a commercially viable way?”

Kelp CoLab’s program is designed for emerging or mid-stage beauty brands, ideally those with existing direct-to-consumer or retail distribution and the capacity to bring innovation to market quickly. “We’re looking for disruptor brands that are values-aligned and have real capacity for rapid product development,” says Collery. “This is an opportunity to be first-to-market with breakthrough kelp-based innovation.”

Public applications will be open from Sept. 8 to Oct. 6. Selected brands will be interviewed on a rolling basis, with the full cohort expected to be announced in November. In addition to beauty brands, Kelp CoLab is inviting cosmetic chemists and formulation consultants to reach out. Technical partners will play key roles in the program.

GreenWave sees Kelp CoLab as part of a broader push to align beauty industry innovation with climate-resilient agriculture, circular supply chains and consumer demand for transparency. “This is an opportunity for beauty brands to lead, not just in storytelling or packaging, but in creating real, scalable climate solutions,” says Garwin. “The future of resilient, regenerative beauty starts with ingredient decisions, and kelp is a category waiting to be unlocked.”

Apply to Kelp CoLab’s program here.