Co-founders Krista Rosen and Inga Potter © Cold Current Kelp
The regenerative kelp farm and skincare company Cold Current Kelp has been awarded $175,000 by the US Department of Agriculture to support the company’s research and development for the use of kelp extracts in skincare and other non-food applications.
Founded in 2021 by Krista Rosen and Dr Inga Potter, Cold Current Kelp is a women-owned, vertically-integrated regenerative kelp farm on the coast of Maine. The company not only farms its own kelp, but also specialises in the development of innovative uses for its seaweed extracts, such as in skin care products.
With the significant funding injection provided by the USDA, Cold Current Kelp will carry out research to determine the feasibility of using a relatively novel green extraction method to obtain bioactive compounds from Maine-grown sugar kelp. Unlike conventional methods, this method of extraction does not require the use of toxic solvents, and is expected to result in higher extraction yields. The project will examine the effects of a variety of extraction conditions as well as the age of kelp at harvest. It will then identify, characterise, and quantify resulting compounds of interest.
Through the project, the Cold Current Kelp team hope to make an important step toward producing natural, non-toxic ingredients with quantifiable bioactive compounds that can be used by the company to create effective skincare products.
“We are thrilled to be awarded funding and to partner with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service to advance scientific discovery that will unlock promising applications of kelp outside of nutrition. As a regenerative, renewable crop that restores ocean health, kelp offers many benefits to our environment and economy, and this research will allow us to expand its use as a sustainable alternative to ingredients in other industries,” explains Dr Inga Potter, in a press release.
“Our analysis of the bioactive compounds of kelp extract has the potential to further establish kelp’s credibility as a sustainable, effective, non-toxic ingredient for the natural skincare sector, where consumer demand is strong and growing. The nutrient-rich compounds act as antioxidants and are anti-inflammatory, protect against UV damage, and inhibit the breakdown of collagen and elastin,” said Krista Rosen.
