'Good Things' is Esquire's celebration of the very best stuff you can buy, via the personal endorsement of our editors. "Best" doesn't mean most expensive, and it won't just be clothes (although, that's kind of our vibe). Just know that when you see the Good Things logo, it has the Esquire seal of approval.
Margate: good for house prices. Also good for spotting parents over the age of 40 with blue hair. Good chippies, too. Oh, and skincare. Really, really good for skincare, as it turns out. Because grooming brand Haeckels, a native and exceedingly well-turned-out son, has boomed skywards from the seaside town it calls home. Many things can reason its runaway success: clean branding, fully sustainable credentials, an ambidextrous approach that has found a fandom with both men and women. But chief among these is its not-so-secret ingredient. It is harvested and handled just minutes from Haeckels' front door, and, unlike absolutely everything else on the planet in 2022, there's no shortage of the stuff. It's seaweed.
Not just any seaweed though (and not Marks and Spencers seaweed, either). Haeckels goes for bladderwrack Margate seaweed. Early studies have found that its antioxidants – which are plentiful in bladderwrack – can promote collagen synthesis, a process that's essential to cell maintenance and renewal in the skin and connective tissues. Under the hood, that means everything is better oiled. On the surface, that means an improvement in the appearance of cellulite, and a delay in premature skin ageing.
Nowhere is that ingredient put to better use than in Haeckels' Algae Plump +B3 Serum. Sounds very Lloyds Pharmacy, actually an easy-to-use, jack-of-all-trades de-ager. There's a reason its a bestseller for the brand too. Using various types of algae to hydrate the skin (the proper name is marine polysaccharides, if you want to show off), keeping things well-watered is the best way to keep your skin all glowy and youthful and annoying. In a 2010 study published in the British Journal of Dermatology and funded by Olay, eight years worth of research found that a typical 28-year-old with skin would see an 52 percent increase in visible wrinkles by the age of 36. These would increase by just 22 percent if said individual had well-hydrated skin. And that's science!
The B3 part is important too. Referring to the vitamin of the same name, Haeckels has thrown it in to give the Algae Plump a leg-up. This antioxidant stimulates the production of hyaluronic acid – and that stuff is especially helpful. "Hyaluronic acid is an incredible hydrator, meaning it locks moisture in, leaving skin plumper and smoother," LA-based dermatologist Dr Robin Schaffran tells Esquire. "The acid itself bonds with water molecules, and ultimately delivers that moisture to the skin when applied topically... consistent use of a moisturising product containing hyaluronic acid can most definitely improve the appearance of fine lines."
The best part of Haeckels' Algae Plump is its accessibility, though. In an industry awash with false claims and 'experts' with the facial definition of an inflatable sofa, it's easy to get lost in hype and mismarketing, and then immediately book in for some injectables as a quick fix solution. Turns out that Harley Street isn't all that preventative. Margate, on the other hand...
