Fragrantly Beautiful

Beauty: Help from kelp

By Sinead McCavana

06 August 2006

It's a centuries old tradition in the west coast of Ireland to bathe in seaweed to cure aches, pains and improve general well being.

Now, an increasing number of beauty products for both the bath and body are extolling it's virtues.

Gráinne McCarry spoke to the director of one such company, County Tyrone woman Deirdre Uí Chathmhaoil on what organic beauty products have to offer.

Her beauty brand, Rí na Mara, specialises in natural seaweed-based products.

Born and raised in Coalisland, she now lives in the Irish-speaking area of An Spideal in Galway with husband and business partner Seamus and four children.

What benefits does seaweed hold?

Each seaweed species has its own unique benefits, there is a tremendous wealth of vitamins A,B,C,D,E,K and amino acids contained in seaweed. Also, there is a rich collection of minerals such as iron, iodine and calcium. These beneficial seaweed extracts are the main active ingredient in Rí na Mara skin and body care range.

Where does the name Rí na Mara come from?

In Irish it means "king of the sea " and it was chosen because we are based in the Gaeltacht area.

We felt it was important to embrace and promote the language in our name and marketing and promotional material.

Why are people returning to natural and organic beauty products?

Consumers are more aware of checking ingredient lists for nasty chemicals and choose not to use products which contain them.

In Ireland, we have always had a great tradition of utilising seaweed, for example, in seaweed baths for hundreds of years and also, seaweeds such as dilisk and carrageen were used in cooking.

Are the products tested on animals?

Rí na Mara products are not tested on animals and are free of mineral oil and animal derivatives.

We believe there are alternatives to painful and prolonged testing on animals for cosmetic purposes.

What makes this brand stand out from the rest?

We spent three years extensively researching and developing formulations and ingredients before launching Rí na Mara.

They have a high seaweed extract content, along with other complementary plant extracts such as aloe vera, ginkgo biloba, shea butter.

The waters off the west coast of Ireland, where the seaweed grows are certified pure according to Bord Iascaigh Mhara (Irish Sea Fisheries Board) and the Irish Marine Department, which extensively monitors and tests the waters.

There's no nuclear power stations or industrial pollution to contaminate the waters. If you stand anywhere in the west coast of Ireland you can see for yourself how clear the waters are.

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posted by Cheryl Levesque @ 9:35 AM