So Why Maine Magic Mud
Theres 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.
Better late than never.
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 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 you weirdo?
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:
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 do play music from time to time) 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.
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 you weirdo?
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:
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 do play music from time to time) 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.