Nobody enjoys being preached to about the devastating effects of human callousness on the ocean, so let's lay it out with statistics instead of sermons — or, worse, visuals of baby seals with six-pack rings wrapped around their necks.
The ocean accounts for more than 70% of the Earth's surface, and 97% of all water on the planet. It absorbs as much as 25% of all manmade carbon emissions from the environment, disrupting the water's pH balance and increasing acidity, which in and of itself is enough to send delicate marine ecosystems reeling. Then, about 80% of marine pollution comes by way of land, from septic tanks, motor vehicles, and larger agricultural sources via storm drains and sewers. Right now, there are at least 87,000 tons of everyday objects, mainly plastics, comprising a "garbage patch" roughly four times the size of the entire state of California.
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We are in the midst of an environmental crisis, and if the facts, the photos, and Leonardo DiCaprio's strong urgings aren't enough to convince you to do something, One Ocean Beauty, a buzzy new skin-care brand, is happy to put in the work for you. In fact, they already have: While most brands promise to donate a portion of sales to non-profit organizations, One Ocean Beauty went ahead and donated $250,000 to Oceana before it even launched, effectively helping to both save the oceans and prove to shoppers that it is not messing around when it comes to its long-term financial support of the world's biggest ocean conservation and advocacy organization.
Social awareness might be at the heart of One Ocean Beauty, but it's not just pro-ocean in name alone — the bulk of the products couldn't exist without the ocean's resources, given that they're formulated with several types of algae and other marine microorganisms. However, there's no harvesting or extraction process behind the ingredients; they're sustainably produced in a biotechnology lab in Europe.
The brand's founder and CEO, Marcella Cacci, an industry veteran and former Burberry Beauty executive, didn't just want to root her new venture in philanthropy; she also aimed to create products she actually wanted to use, in addition to being good for the planet (and GMO-, paraben-, sulfate-, phthalate-, PEG-, nanoparticle-, mineral oil-, and synthetic fragrance-free). The result is a curated range of five products, including a gentle cleanser that works like a micellar water to melt away makeup, a creamy serum that can double as a day cream (and reminds us of similar formulas three times the price), a luxe yet lightweight moisturizer, an eye cream, and a proprietary marine-collagen supplement that promises to combat the oxidative stress associated with premature aging.
Yes, the brand was originally developed to cater to anti-aging needs — but, Cacci says, "We’ve been surprised by how many younger people are loving the line, and 20% of our sales so far have been to men." One Ocean Beauty's universal appeal is easy to understand: luxe ocean-inspired packaging that doesn't skew overtly feminized, a relatively accessible price point (the serum is the priciest product in the line, at $98), and a great cause to back it up — what more could a skin-care brand need? Well, Leonardo DiCaprio's support could be a nice touch, just to help get the word out...