So Why Maine Magic Mud

There's a strong argument to be made that this particular topic should have come up a little earlier and be displayed a little more prominently. 
Better late than never. 

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The Mud

Our first product is also one of the most straightforward and personal. When I was in college I was coming home on weekends to fish. Transitioning from winter fishing to a dry classroom environment was awful for my skin. I tried a bunch of different options. None worked. Eventually I remembered an old family strategy. On the island we lived on you were a bit isolated from the nearest CVS. So for things like poison ivy, bee stings or just a mud bath we would go down to the flats and use the mud as a cure all. I took some of the mud back to college with me and when mixed with a good cream it worked wonders. It took off the dead skin instead of just trying to maintain a lost cause and my skin cleared up extraordinarily fast. The genesis for Maine Magic Mud had begun. 

After starting the business we got a little more scientific. We had our mud analyzed and it turned out that the mineral content was amazing. Silica in the mud encourages plump glowing skin. Magnesium helps reduce acne and improve overall skin health (and is a mineral 80% of Americans don't get enough of). Even sodium, though generally perceived through the lens of overly salty foods and being over consumed internally is amazingly beneficial for your skin by helping to attract moisture to your skin cells. With the scientific evidence in hand we began the journey to make a line of products that approached skin in a simple, effective and holistic way. 

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The Kelp extract

In our liquid based products (think the ones you'd never want grit in, shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer etc.) our primary value added ingredient is our kelp and algae extract. Through a process that has evolved over time, and with several partnerships with people  much more savvy in the way of enzymes and reactions than myself, we have developed an extraction process. Essentially we boil the kelp down (in one stage literally) into a much more intensified version of itself and its properties. There are several reasons for this. The first is that it takes a lot of initial volume to get the desired benefits. If you consider something like Turmeric that has many many beneficial properties and then start breaking down the levels necessary to get a reaction you realize that a bit of powder in a smoothie probably doesn't do much (that's not to say its not beneficial and healthy it just probably won't help your gout). Enter extracts. With an intensified version of your ingredients you can get the desired outcomes with far less volume. The second reason is that extracts, by virtue of their intensity are less susceptible to decay. In a few of our earlier iterations we had a much higher volume/lower intensity version of our kelp extract. Within a month there were little pockets of mold in our shampoo and conditioners. We managed to pull the product (I fervently hope none slipped out) but certainly not ideal if you're expecting someone to pay $20 a bottle. The last reason is simple convenience. An extract is far easier to work with than a strained dilution. The consistency and viscosity of products are easier to manage and the actual work involved in preparation (after the extract is complete) is significantly reduced. 

So why does kelp matter at all?
What are these properties that make it beneficial and why did you spend the first paragraph talking about why you use extract?
This is one of those things that it is tough to make sound interesting. The list of benefits associated with kelp is miles long and pretty dull to rattle off one after the other but here are some:

• Kelp has demonstrated anti-aging properties by inhibiting enzymes that break down collagen in the skin
• Kelp is exceptional at encouraging natural skin moisturizing
• Kelp contains many of the essential nutrients to ensure hair growth.
  
• Kelp is high in iodine and a great source of iron, sodium, phosphorus and calcium
  
• Kelp has many vitamins including A, B1, B2, C, D and E.
  
• Kelp also contains laminaria angustata, which has been shown to thicken and increase overall hair health. 

For more validation look no further than the most expensive facial creme in the world. It is called "La Mer" which is, literally in French, "the ocean." The first ingredient listed on the creme is seaweed/kelp extract. There are rumors that there are some specific ways the creme gets processed down to what noises are in the background (I can't say we're that exacting over at MMM hq though we listen to some excellent podcasts) but at the end of the day the main ingredient is kelp extract. So in some form or another kelp is special, and we don't charge $350 a jar.