3 Cool Things YOU CAN DO WITH SEAWEED

BY SARAH COTTRELL

If you've ever wandered along a Maine beach as the tide rolled out, you might have noticed the abundance of seaweed tightly hugging the coastal rocks. These buoyant sea vegetables provide a cool, wet hiding place for small creatures like crabs, but they're also incredibly versatile for human use, from gardening to skincare to lunch; seaweed has some excellent benefits.

Here are three fantastic ways to use seaweed at home.

Add Seaweed To Your Diet

According to the University of Maine, there are more than 250 species of sea vegetables that include seaweed in the Gulf of Maine—most are edible, but only 11 are currently in commercial use. If you want to try eating some seaweed, try looking for these local varieties:

• DULSE

• KELP

• SEA LETTUCE

• LAVER

• NORI

• ROCKWEED

Seaweed is wonderfully nutritious. It is low in calories, carbs, and fat but high in riboflavin, thiamin, iron, manganese, and copper. Seaweed also packs a punch with antioxidants, fiber, and polysaccharides, which are all excellent for gut health.

If you're curious to try eating Maine seaweed, look for locally harvested products from these companies:

Heritage Seaweed offers dried seaweed, teas, and foods made from seaweed.

Maine Coast Sea Vegetables allows you to shop based on seaweed species or product type.

Maine Seaweed offers seaweed for the home cook, including cookbooks to help guide you through choosing and cooking with seaweed.

You can also check out your local grocery store to find seaweed chips and other seaweed snack foods.

Use Seaweed In Your Beauty Regimen

Due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, seaweed has long been known as a powerhouse ingredient supporting healthy skin. Here are two simple recipes for making your own seaweed skin cream and face mask.

Seaweed Skin Cream

What you'll need:

• 2 tablespoons dried seaweed like kelp or Irish moss

• 1 cup filtered water

• 1/4 cup aloe vera

• 2 tablespoons jojoba oil

• 6 to 10 drops of your favorite essential oil for scent

What to do:

1. Brew the seaweed like tea for 30 minutes in the measured water.

2. Add the strained seaweed tea to a stand mixer with a whisk attachment.

3. Add the other ingredients and begin whipping until emulsified. You should end up with approximately two cups of creamy skin lotion.

Face Mask

What you'll need:

• 1 teaspoon seaweed powder (you can grind dried seaweed to make powder yourself).

• 2 tablespoons full-fat Greek yogurt (plus water, if needed)

• 1 or 2 drops of soothing essential oil like lavender

What to do:

1. Add all ingredients to a small bowl and mix until smooth. If the mask is too thick, add a few drops of water until it meets your desired consistency.

2. Spread on a clean, dry face, and let dry. Rinse with warm water and blot your skin dry with a clean towel.

Not into DIY? No problem; seaweed has become so popular that it is now ubiquitous in many skincare lines.

Put Seaweed In Your Garden

According to the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, seaweed makes an excellent addition to gardens. It adds nutrients to your garden beds and can aerate and protect the soil, especially in winter. The next time you're near the coast, grab a bucket full of seaweed and bring it home to spread over your garden.

Be mindful of how much you harvest, though. According to the Maine Seaweed Counsel, an individual can harvest up to 50 pounds daily for personal use. Visit their website to learn how to properly and ethically harvest seaweed without harming the local environment. Seaweed is a fantastic ingredient for food, beauty, and gardening — luckily for us Mainers, we sure have plenty of it. The next time you're wandering along a beach, stop to check out how cool seaweed is.