SEAWEED

Green algae, Brown algae and Red algae

Seaweed is a collective name for multicellular algae
Green algae Chlorophyceae
Brown algae Phaeophyceae
Red algae Rhodophycea.

Green algae
Green algae is divided into divisions like
Green algae
Moss
Vascular plants
Green algae can be found closest to the water surface, further down they can not take advantage of the sunlight, green algae is also called sea grass. Green algae grows in both fresh water, salt water and also on land.
They are either attached to the bottom or floats around freely. Grass kelp is a green algae which is attached while Volvox floats freely, its is Volvox which sometimes is the cause of algal bloom.

Red algae
Red algae grows best at a depth of 5-10 meters, in Swedish waters they can appear down to a depth of 40 meters and in warmer waters down to a depth of 80 meters.

Brown algae
We produce our skincare products out of brown algae; Bladder wrack and Knotted wrack. We harvest the seaweed by hand on the west coast of Sweden.
It is the moisturizing properties that the seaweed contains which makes it a raw material which suits dry and damaged skin. People with psoriasis and eczema usually notice an improvement after a seaweed bath.

Bladder wrack Fucus vesiculosus
Brown algae
Bladder wrack grows both on the west coast of Sweden and in the Baltic Sea. Air bubbles are formed in the fork and in calm waters it will grow long stems. In places with frequent waves the air bubble with decrease and the algae will only grow to a few centimeters. On the west coast the seaweed will grow in the tide zone, deeper down they are smaller and fewer. In the Baltic Sea the Bladder wrack will grow from the low tide line and down to the salty bottom water, down to a depth of 10 meters. Close to the surface the salt levels are low and the stems are small.

Knotted wrack Ascophyllum nodosum
Brown algae
The Knotted wrack has bladders, float bladders, just like the Bladder wrack. The bladders are placed individually, in the middle of the stalk, the seaweed has a light brown color. It is the outermost parts which are the most useful in cooking and also in our skincare products. Knotted wrack is like many other algae, nutritious with vitamins, minerals, Omega-3 fatty acids and essential amino acids.