Made from seaweed cellulose, the new ingredient is positioned to help brands eliminate microplastics and synthetic impurities without compromising product performance.
From Hydration to Flex
Big Kelp Flex follows the 2024 launch of Big Kelp Hydration, a polysaccharide-rich bioactive shown to boost skin hydration. “We spotted this opportunity after launching Big Kelp Hydration in early 2024,” Matthew Perkins, CEO of Macro Oceans, told CosmeticsDesign.
“We’re working with >100 brands and contract manufacturers nationwide, and we hear time and again how they’d like to remove synthetic materials from formulas but that there aren’t any good high-performance, all natural solutions.”
Big Kelp Flex is derived from upcycled seaweed cellulose produced in the company’s zero-waste biorefinery. “As Big Kelp Hydration was growing, we were looking for applications for the upcycled cellulose… and we turned that cellulose into Big Kelp Flex,” said Perkins. “The reaction from initial customers has been electric.”
R&D advances in seaweed cellulose
According to Perkins, a key differentiator is the unique structure of seaweed cellulose. “In a tree… those fibers are short and stocky… In contrast, cellulose fibers in seaweed are much longer and more flexible,“ he explained. ”This allows the seaweed to flex rhythmically… resisting strong tides, currents, and waves.”
The formulation team found that these properties translated to superior functionality. “These long, thin seaweed fibers can absorb 600x their weight in water creating a unique, smooth visco-gel structure that is thixotropic and shear thinning without losing particle suspension in the bottle or at the nozzle during application,” he said. “That means… it delivers performance on par with the best synthetics like carbomers and acrylates.”
Colin Hepburn, Chief Technology Officer, added in a press statement: “Seaweed cellulose fibers are naturally purer, longer, thinner and more flexible than other plant-based fibers such as wood.”
According to Hepburn, “this gives them superabsorbent properties and the ability to create unique visco-gel structures.”
Addressing key formulation challenges
Big Kelp Flex is designed to address persistent formulation challenges in mineral sunscreens and skin care. “Making the perfect natural mineral sunscreen is hard,” Perkins said. “Formulators are forced to choose: use a synthetic ingredient… to get the mineral particles to evenly disperse or use a natural ingredient… that causes nozzle clogging or white casting.”
Macro Oceans designed Big Kelp Flex to resolve this tradeoff. “This breakthrough ingredient is capable of suspending high density particles like SPF grade zinc or titanium even at very low viscosities,” Perkins noted. “You can also use it to create a wide range of velvety smooth textures combined with an excellent quick-break skin feel without the tackiness commonly associated with xanthan gum and other natural rheology modifiers.”
Scaling up and supporting industry transition
Macro Oceans emphasizes both performance and scalability. “The great thing about kelp is that it is a zero-input crop, meaning it grows in the ocean without needing land, fresh water, fertilizers or pesticides,” said Perkins. “And there’s a lot of ocean so you can grow a lot of it… we’ve seen incredible demand from customers and we’re going to be buying a lot of kelp over the coming years.”
Big Kelp Flex also supports brands seeking to move away from synthetic polymers and microplastics. “Big Kelp Flex gives you synthetic-level performance… But it also gives you a 100% natural product, derived from seaweed, made in a zero-waste biorefinery,” he stated.
Outlook on future innovation
Looking ahead, Macro Oceans plans to continue investing in seaweed-based materials for personal care applications. “There are so many problems we can solve with kelp-based ingredients,” Perkins concluded. “While I can’t reveal any details at the moment, suffice to say our next products are also going to combine incredible natural performance with incredible sustainability.”