Bringing Beauty Brands to the Source: Kelp CoLab Heads to Alaska
Midway through GreenWave’s 2026 Kelp CoLab program, nine beauty and personal care brands gathered in Juneau, Alaska, for a workshop that brought product development closer to the source. For many participants, it was their first time meeting ocean farmers and seeing what it takes to grow kelp.
Over two days in April, cohort members gained firsthand insight into the challenges, opportunities, and motivations shaping the industry. Seeing the work up close made ingredient sourcing more tangible, helping them connect formulation decisions to the farms growing kelp.
"It's one thing to tell someone that kelp farming is regenerative and beneficial for coastal communities," says Grace Collery, GreenWave's Senior Manager of Market Development. "It's another to actually meet the farmers, hear why they’re drawn to kelp farming as a business, and why they believe in what it does for the ocean. It really clicked for them in a completely different way out on the water."
"The Kelp CoLab experience has been one of the most valuable things we've done for SEA-EL," says Zane Greenberg, brand COO. "From the in-person connections in Alaska to the education and community the virtual sessions have brought, it's been a game-changer for our brand."
As brands look for ingredients that solve formulation challenges, kelp is gaining traction for its practical benefits in products, from hydration and texture to other functional properties. The inaugural round of programming launched in January 2026 with Unilever Partnerships, which set the innovation focus area, and ingredient supplier Macro Oceans, which processes Alaskan-farmed kelp into a traceable, formulation-ready ingredient.
Seaweed-derived ingredients have been used in beauty and personal care for years, but supply chain transparency and reliability haven’t always kept pace. The collaborative R&D program helps brands develop products featuring kelp-derived ingredients while connecting cohort members to technical expertise and a traceable supply chain.
“The industry doesn’t work without a market," says Sam Garwin, GreenWave’s Director of Market Development. "These brands saw how hard everyone upstream is working to make these products possible. The trip helped these brands understand that they have an important role to play in creating a market for regeneratively farmed kelp."
The trip also created space for brands to learn from one another. Conversations that started during workshops continued on the way home from Alaska, with cohort members sharing ideas on topics such as sustainability practices and packaging. "We knew brands would be excited about the product development component of the program, but we weren't sure how open they'd be in collaborative sessions," says Grace. "They've surprised us every time with how willing they are to share and collaborate."
The cohort is still deep in development, with each brand launching between one and three products featuring kelp over the next one to two years—some hitting shelves as early as this summer and fall. Bringing these brands together in one cohort allows GreenWave to leverage resources and opportunities that wouldn't be possible for a single brand to access on its own.
During this critical phase, Kelp CoLab is helping brands build closer relationships with the ingredient supply chain behind their products and grow a market for regeneratively farmed kelp.
Special thanks to the 2026 Kelp CoLab cohort (Credo Beauty, KraveBeauty, True Botanicals, Sonsie, Elate Beauty, SEA-EL Skincare, The Barb Shop, Soapply, Project Reef), Sea Quester Farms, Tamsen Peeples, Nick Goll, David Rossow, Jeff Bos, and Gastineau Guiding.
