Marine elements
The science of the sea
Three extraordinary ingredients. One uncompromising source. Iceland's wild ocean.
Why the Arctic ocean is unlike any other
At 64° North latitude, Iceland's coastal waters experience extreme seasonal cycles — near-freezing temperatures, intense summer light, and mineral concentrations formed by millennia of volcanic activity beneath the ocean floor. These conditions do not merely sustain life; they force it to evolve extraordinary biochemical defences.
The organisms that thrive here — kelp, deep-sea fish, and calcified algae — develop extraordinary biochemical characteristics shaped by centuries of cold, pressure, and mineral saturation. ColdOcean was founded on a single idea: that those same characteristics make Arctic marine ingredients worth using in skincare.
Wild Icelandic Kelp
Ascophyllum nodosum
North Atlantic coast, 64°N — depths of 8–15 m
The ocean's master hydrator
Wild Icelandic kelp grows slowly in near-freezing, mineral-saturated waters. Its naturally occurring polysaccharides — particularly fucoidan and alginates — are associated with moisture retention at the skin's surface. We harvest only the upper fronds by hand, leaving the root holdfasts intact so each plant can regenerate.
Marine Collagen
Gadus morhua peptides
Westfjords of Iceland — Icelandic cod (Gadus morhua), food-fishery by-product
Cold-extracted peptides from Icelandic fisheries
A by-product of Iceland's food fishery — no fish is caught for its collagen. Our peptides are derived from Icelandic cod (Gadus morhua) skin that arrives as a by-product of the North Atlantic food fishery. Marine collagen peptides have a relatively low molecular weight compared to bovine alternatives, which is one reason they are used in skincare formulations.
Calcified Red Algae
Lithothamnion calcareum
Arnarfjörður, Westfjords, Iceland
Minerals from the seabed
Lithothamnion calcareum grows on the seabed of Arnarfjörður in Iceland's Westfjords, where cold, clear Atlantic water keeps the environment stable year-round. It is a slow-growing organism that accumulates calcium carbonate and trace minerals from the surrounding water over many years. Our calcified red algae is harvested from the seabed and cold-processed to preserve its mineral structure. It contributes texture and mineral content to the formulas it appears in.
Where we source
Three locations. One island.
Every ColdOcean ingredient is sourced exclusively from Iceland. Short supply chains mean fresher actives, lower carbon footprint, and full traceability from ocean to bottle.
Westfjords
Wild Icelandic Kelp
Westfjords
Marine Collagen (Arctic Cod)
Arnarfjörður, Westfjords
Calcified Red Algae
Experience the elements
Each product is formulated to deliver the full potency of its source ingredient — nothing diluted, nothing hidden.