Skincare That Gives Back
As the first beauty brand in the UK to receive B Corp status, it has always been our mission to choose people over profit – and in this case seahorses over profit!
In our last blog we mentioned everything relating to our Seahorse Plankton+ range, and we also let you know a little bit about The Seahorse Trust. We think they deserve more than a mention, so here’s a whole heap of info on them and how we help the Trust to ensure the safety and conservation of seahorses.
Why help Seahorses?
I doubt we need to convince you much on why these sweet little creatures are so valuable...but here goes:
- Seahorses have excellent eyesight and their eyes can work independently on either side of their head - this means they can look forwards and backwards at the same time!
- There are about 54 species of seahorses worldwide, and possibly as many sub-species
- Seahorses pair for life - they meet first thing in the morning to reinforce their bonding with an elaborate courtship display
- Females have a territory of about 100sqm metres and males have an overlapping territory of about 0.5sqm – lets hear it for the girls!
- The seahorse is the only creature where the male has a true reversed pregnancy
- Baby seahorses are known as fry - less than one in a thousand will survive long enough to become an adult due to predators
- Seahorses can change colour very quickly and match any surroundings in which it finds itself - they have even been known to turn bright red to match floating debris
- They rely on their dorsal fins to swim - beating at 30-70 times per second to propel it along!
The Threats they Face
We know what you’re thinking – why on earth would anyone bring harm to a seahorse? Well, they are under threat worldwide for three main reasons. Firstly, the Traditional Chinese Medicine Trade takes in excess of up to 150 million seahorses a year from the wild or through illegal, trading and these are used for all types of medicine. The Curio Trade (those seemingly 'innocent' mementos from seaside visits) takes approximately one million seahorses from the wild. Along with shells and starfish; they are deliberately taken from the sea and left to die in the boiling sun.
They are then sold as souvenirs, a sad and sorrowful reminder of once beautiful creatures. The pet trade takes an estimated one million seahorses from the wild and It is thought that less than 1,000 survive more than six weeks.
What does the Seahorse Trust Do?
The Seahorse Trust was set up in 1999 to preserve and conserve the natural world, especially the marine environment and of course seahorses. They work in partnership through a Seahorse Alliance with many other organisations and people from all over the world - it is this unique partnership that allows The Seahorse Trust to achieve so much in the conservation of seahorses and their environment for the future!
They are also responsible for overseeing and working in partnership with several research and conservation projects around the world too. These include surveying for seahorses, behavioural studies, captive breeding and nutritional work. Most recently, they have worked in partnership with the Professional Diving Schools Association (PDSA) and Nature Trust Malta (NTM) to set up a seahorse research project to understand more about 2 species of seahorses found in the clear Maltese Mediterranean waters. These projects are then shared with researchers and students around the world, to spread awareness. Hear about all the previous and ongoing research projects here!
How Beauty Kitchen Help
We donate 2% off all our sales (not just profits) to charities that are close to our hearts - including Plastic Soup Foundation, In Kind Direct and of course The Seahorse Trust. With our bit of help The Seahorse Trust have let us know some incredible things they’ve achieved so far with our Seahorse Plankton+ range. For example, we’ve helped turn some places such as Studland Bay into protected areas for the seahorses! This range is 100% cruelty free and vegan as we grow our own plant-based microalgae in bioreactors so we never have to take any from the sea, or the seahorses themselves (find out more about this range here).
Win a Seahorse Adoption Pack
To celebrate the work that The Seahorse Trust do, we are giving you the chance to win a few Beauty Kitchen Seahorse Plankton+ goodies along with your very own seahorse! A gorgeous bright yellow Spiny Seahorse (see below), this cutie was found in Studland Bay in Dorset when she was 1-1 and a half years old. She’s an important one this gal as she’s allowed The Seahorse Trust to learn more about her species, and put forward Studland Bay as a Marine Conservation Zone!
Head to our socials to enter, all you have to do is make a name suggestion for her, and we’ll pick the best one!
You can get involved to help protect these beautiful creatures through direct donations, becoming a member, or even adopting a seahorse! We are so proud to support this incredible organisation - to find out more about The Seahorse Trust visit their website here.