SAE Seaweed Hydrating Face Serum 30ml — concentrated marine-active serum in glass bottle
Hydrating Face Serum thumbnail
Marine Cleansing Balm thumbnail
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Radiant Face Oil thumbnail
SAE Seaweed

Hydrating
Face Serum

★★★★★ 4.9 · 127 reviews
£34.00 30ml

A concentrated marine-active serum powered by wild bladderwrack and spirulina hand-harvested from the Dorset coast. Visibly plumps, firms and illuminates in just four weeks of use.

Hydrating Firming Brightening Vegan Cruelty Free
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Sustainably sourced natural ingredients
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Meet your new daily ritual.

The Hydrating Face Serum is the distillation of everything SAE has learned from years of working with wild Dorset seaweed. A lightweight, fast-absorbing serum that delivers a concentrated payload of marine actives deep into the skin — without any heaviness, greasiness or synthetic shortcuts.

At its heart is bladderwrack (Fucus vesiculosus), harvested by hand at low tide from the waters around Studland Bay under Crown Estate licence. Bladderwrack is one of the sea's great gifts: packed with iodine, fucoidan, alginic acid and a complex array of antioxidants that work together to firm, plump and protect.

Paired with spirulina — the ancient blue-green algae celebrated for its extraordinary amino acid and chlorophyll content — this serum delivers visible results that synthetic formulations rarely match. Both ingredients are at their most potent when fresh, which is why SAE works in small batches only.

Who it's for: All skin types. Particularly effective for dull, dehydrated or mature skin seeking visible plumping and radiance. Dermatologist-tested and suitable for sensitive skin.

  • Visibly plumps and firms in 4 weeks — 92% of users in independent testing
  • Intensely hydrating without any pore-clogging or heaviness
  • Anti-inflammatory marine actives calm reactive and sensitive skin
  • Brightens uneven skin tone and reduces the appearance of fine lines
  • Antimicrobial properties help maintain skin's natural microbiome balance
  • Vegan, cruelty-free, fragrance-free
All seaweed actives in this formula are sustainably hand-harvested from the Dorset coast under Crown Estate licence, in partnership with Natural England. Small batch only — never industrially processed.

Full INCI List

Aqua (Water), Fucus Vesiculosus Extract (Bladderwrack Seaweed)*, Spirulina Platensis Extract*, Chondrus Crispus Extract (Carrageenan)*, Hyaluronic Acid (Low Molecular Weight), Hippophae Rhamnoides Seed Oil (Sea Buckthorn)*, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil (Rosehip)*, Ascorbyl Glucoside (Vitamin C), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5), Glycerin (Plant-Derived), Cetearyl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum, Sodium PCA, Allantoin, Bisabolol, Lactic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin.

*Certified organic / sustainably wild-harvested.

In plain English

Bladderwrack The mineral powerhouse. Firms, hydrates, antioxidant-rich.
Spirulina Ancient algae. Brightens, repairs, amino acid dense.
Carrageenan Natural gel-forming seaweed. Plumps and soothes.
Hyaluronic Acid Deep moisture magnet. Holds 1000× its weight in water.
Sea Buckthorn Omega-7 rich. Restores radiance, fights free radicals.
Rosehip Oil Vitamin A and C source. Fades dark spots, improves texture.
Vitamin C Stabilised form. Brightens and boosts collagen production.
Vitamin E Antioxidant protector. Shields against environmental damage.

A little goes a long way. Use morning and evening for best results.

01

Cleanse

Begin with clean skin. We recommend the SAE Marine Cleansing Balm to remove impurities and prepare the skin's surface without disrupting its natural barrier.

02

Apply the Serum

Dispense 3–4 drops onto your fingertips. Press gently into the skin working from the centre of the face outward. Include the neck and décolletage. Do not rub — press and hold for absorption.

03

Allow to Absorb

Wait 60–90 seconds for the serum to fully absorb before applying your moisturiser. The lightweight formula should sink in without residue — if it hasn't, you've used too much.

04

Moisturise & Protect

Follow with the Everyday Face Cream to seal in the serum's actives. In the morning, finish with SPF. Consistent twice-daily use delivers the best results.

SAE tip: For an intensive treatment, apply a slightly heavier layer as a sleep mask 2–3 times per week. The overnight recovery window amplifies the seaweed actives significantly.
4.9
★★★★★
127 reviews
5 stars
88%
4 stars
9%
3 stars
2%
2 stars
1%
1 star
0%
★★★★★
Sophie T. — London
November 2024

The serum has completely transformed my skin. I've tried everything — retinol, vitamin C serums, even prescription treatments — and nothing has worked quite like this. Four weeks in and people keep asking what I've changed. My skin is plumper, brighter and I actually look forward to my morning routine now.

✓ Verified purchase
★★★★★
Rachel H. — Bristol
October 2024

I visited the seaweed baths in Studland last summer — genuinely one of the most magical experiences I've had — and came home and ordered the whole skincare range. The serum is my favourite. My skin has never looked better. The fact that it comes from that same wild coastline makes it feel genuinely special rather than just another product.

✓ Verified purchase
★★★★★
Emma W. — Edinburgh
October 2024

Genuinely the most luxurious natural skincare I've ever used. I was sceptical about seaweed — it sounds gimmicky — but the results speak for themselves. After 6 weeks my forehead lines are visibly softer and my cheeks have a plumpness I haven't seen since my twenties. Worth every penny and more.

✓ Verified purchase
★★★★★
Priya M. — Manchester
September 2024

I have quite sensitive, reactive skin that flares up with most serums. This one has been a revelation — no reaction whatsoever, and my skin is the calmest it's been in years. The marine actives must be doing something remarkable because even my redness has reduced. I've reordered twice already.

✓ Verified purchase
★★★★★
Caroline B. — Bath
August 2024

Bought this as a birthday treat for myself after reading about SAE in The Sunday Times. Three months on and it's a permanent fixture in my bathroom. The texture is beautiful — not too thin, not too heavy — and it smells faintly of the ocean in the best possible way. My husband has started using it too.

✓ Verified purchase

Pair it with

SAE Seaweed Everyday Face Cream 50ml — carrageenan and sea buckthorn daily moisturiser
50ml
Everyday Face Cream

Seal in your serum with this rich, mineral-dense moisturiser. Carrageenan and sea buckthorn deliver all-day hydration with a weightless finish.

£36 Quick Add
SAE Seaweed Marine Cleansing Balm 100ml — kelp and chamomile melt-away cleanser
100ml
Marine Cleansing Balm

Begin your ritual here. This melt-away balm with kelp and chamomile removes every trace of impurity while leaving skin soft, calm and ready.

£28 Quick Add
SAE Seaweed Radiant Face Oil 30ml — laminaria and rosehip dry face oil
30ml
Radiant Face Oil

Lock in the final glow. Laminaria and rosehip combine in this silky dry face oil for luminous, plumped skin that lasts all day.

£42 Quick Add
The Source

Every drop
starts here.

Jade and Dan hand-harvesting wild seaweed at low tide on the Dorset Jurassic Coast at Studland Bay

At low tide on the Dorset coast, before most people are awake, Jade and Dan wade into the shallow waters of Studland Bay and begin the day's harvest. Working by hand — carefully, sustainably, in precise quantities approved by Natural England — they gather the bladderwrack, kelp and carrageen that will become your serum within days. No freezing. No mass extraction. The seaweed you're applying to your skin is the same seaweed that was in the ocean less than a week ago. That is the SAE difference — and no industrial process can replicate it.

Read The Full Story  →

Everything you
need to know.

Yes. The Hydrating Face Serum has been independently dermatologist-tested and is fragrance-free, alcohol-free and formulated without the most common sensitising actives. The anti-inflammatory properties of bladderwrack and carrageenan mean that many customers with reactive or rosacea-prone skin find it particularly beneficial. As with any new skincare product, we recommend a 24-hour patch test before first use.
Most customers report visible improvements in hydration and skin texture within the first 1–2 weeks of consistent use. Firming and plumping benefits — driven by the collagen-supporting marine actives — typically become most apparent at the 4-week mark. For significant changes in skin tone and fine line appearance, we recommend allowing a full 8-week course of twice-daily use.
The difference is freshness and provenance. Most seaweed used in skincare is dried, processed and often of unknown origin — by the time it reaches a formula, much of its bioactive potential has degraded. SAE seaweed is hand-harvested in small batches from a specific, licensed stretch of the Dorset coast, processed within days of harvest, and never subjected to industrial extraction. The result is a significantly more potent and bioavailable active ingredient. We have the paperwork — from the Crown Estate licence to Natural England certification — to prove exactly where every batch comes from.
Yes. The bottle is made from 50% post-consumer recycled glass, and the cap from FSC-certified recycled aluminium. Our outer packaging is made from unbleached recycled card and printed with vegetable-based inks. We're working towards 100% recyclable, zero-plastic packaging across the entire range by 2026, and we offer a refill service for repeat customers — contact us for details.
The Hydrating Face Serum is free from retinoids, synthetic fragrances and most ingredients typically flagged during pregnancy. However, the formula does contain high levels of naturally occurring iodine via bladderwrack, which some healthcare professionals advise limiting during pregnancy. We always recommend consulting your midwife or GP before introducing new skincare products during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.