Californian skincare brand goes ocean-positive

Osea, a Malibu-based skincare brand, is working with SeaTrees, a local nonprofit specializing in the conservation and restoration of marine environments, to care for three marine ecosystems, one at its door and two around the world. "We're moving from climate neutral to ocean positive, which we see as a leveling up," says Melissa Palmer, co-founder and CEO of Osea.

Since the company was founded in 1996, it has been a veteran in the field of sustainability. “But to be honest, we struggled with that term, because we're making a product, and it has an imprint, even though we're trying to source ethically, reduce our use of materials, and so on. So we're very excited that there are now ways to not only offset our usage, but also have a positive impact."

Because Osea uses seaweed in their products, although it is a different variety of seaweed than the kelp forests they seek to restore, there has always been an affinity with the ocean and its health, says Palmer.

Working with SeaTrees, a relatively new nonprofit founded in 2020, they become the first-ever beauty brand to define themselves as "Ocean Positive". For every ton of carbon the company offsets, it invests in coastal restoration projects that extract carbon from the atmosphere.

“A kelp forest can sequester as much, if not more, carbon than a wooded forest,” she notes.

Kelp, also called brown algae, is the largest subgroup of algae.

Sea trees

SeaTrees explains that more than 90% of California's kelp forests have been decimated by a proliferation of purple sea urchins, as their predators have disappeared due to human impact and climate change. Yet giant kelp forests provide habitat and food for over 700 marine species. They are therefore crucial for this ecosystem. (Note that kelp is a more specific type of algae; in fact, it's the largest subgroup of algae.)

In addition to contributing to the kelp forest off the coast of Palos Verdes, Osea is also committed to helping projects in Indonesia and Cambodia.

Indonesia has lost the majority of its mangrove forests to degradation from agriculture, aquaculture, pollution and, in the Biak Island region, a tsunami, explains Sea Trees co-founder Kevin Wilden. “Healthy mangroves support a wide range of ecosystem services, including benefits for local communities, critical habitats, protection from sea level rise and storm surges, and filtration for nearby coral reefs. "

On the other hand, the ridge-to-reef watershed in Cambodia faces increasing threats from illegal logging, he adds. Protecting this critical ecosystem supports over 200 jobs, as well as education and healthcare benefits for over 16,000 people in the local community.

So what does this mean in terms of carbon sequestration?

The SeaTrees token consists of a VCS (Verified Carbon Standard) certified carbon credit from the Southern Cardamom REDD+ project, four mangrove trees planted in the Biak Island region of Indonesia and a square foot of restored kelp in Palos Verdes, California. The additional four mangrove trees and one square foot of kelp collectively have the potential...