Sea moss: The latest beauty trend captivating Canadians

Social media and popular culture have long promoted the image of women with perfect, lush hair cascading in Hollywood waves, faces glowing with natural radiance, and nails so strong they could be used as tools. This image is further reinforced by artificial filters that create idealized portrayals that many aspire to. To achieve this, individuals often journey toward an unattainable image, navigating through cosmetics, supplements, beauty treatments, or cosmetic surgeries. The goal is singular—to mirror the idol on the screen.

People are willing to go to great lengths to pursue the ideal. New methods regularly debut online, claiming to transform one's appearance instantly. Society, eager for perfection, absorbs these methods like famished young birds, testing them in the hope of achieving promised results. Consequently, we have consumed yeast, nettle, horsetail teas, collagen, and chia seeds. We've massaged rosemary water, horse liniment, or mustard oil into our scalps. We've applied everything from Vaseline to snail slime on our faces.

Sea moss is the current ingredient, touted as a cure-all for beauty woes. In Canada, influencer Julia Mellor-Tychoniewicz, residing in the Bahamas, is a popular advocate. She asserts that consuming a gel made from ground sea moss enhances the appearance of skin, hair, and nails. This is attributed to the minerals, vitamins, and nutrients the algae contain. The downside? Not everyone is fond of the gel's thick, gelatinous texture.

Inspired by Julia Mellor-Tychoniewicz, online creators have also jumped on the sea moss bandwagon. This supplement isn't widespread in Canada, so acquiring it as a ready-made gel can be pricey. However, dried algae can be purchased on Amazon or other platforms. The preparation process seems straightforward—soak the algae in water, wait for them to swell, rinse, place in a blender, add water, and blend. The jelly can then be enhanced with ingredients like mango puree or left as is.