"Miami Native Realized Dream of Using Seawater to Create Skincare Products."

ORLANDO, Fla. – For as long as he can remember, Rick Fox has loved and appreciated the sea. Whether he’s diving or beach-combing, the ocean is - and always has been - a key part of his life. Now, as the founder of SeaQuarius Skincare, it has become his livelihood.

A native of Miami, Fox started technical product development and research for Orlando-based SeaQuarius with little more than an idea and a desire. The idea was to create a line of skincare products that would use beneficial sea minerals and exotic sea plant life to cleanse and nourish skin. The desire was to create such products that other ocean-loving people would benefit from in their daily skincare routine.

Fox, said he realized the healing properties of the sea when he was a teenager prone to acne. “When I spent some time in the mineral-rich seawater, my acne cleared up,” he said. “I thought; this water is special and could be used as the cornerstone of a skincare business.” The idea was shelved for 25 years.

SeaQuarius LLC was enrolled as a client of the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program in Orlando, where Fox – a graduate of Florida State University – spent many hours working out exactly what kind of company and which specific products he wanted to create. After receiving mentoring help from site managers and advice from business executives affiliated with the program, he left the incubator and started putting what he had learned to work.

Now, after years of research and development through close collaboration with Dermatologists, Cosmetic Chemists, and Marine Biologists, SeaQuarius Skincare is a reality. And, the results – "Sea Clean," a foaming facial wash with purifying seawater and gentle coconut derived cleansers; "Sea Serum," a firming, moisturizing and collagen restructuring serum; and "Sea Cream," rich and nutritious ocean ingredients formulated into a light, non-greasy and absorbable cream – are available online at OceanSkincare.com.

Fox said SeaQuarius Skincare products are derived from natural and sustainable marine ingredients that originate in the vast oceans and seas around the world. “We do not use artificial colors, fragrance, harsh chemicals, sulfates, petrolatum or anything you do not want on or in your body. Our partner ingredient supply companies conduct their aquaculture and harvesting practices in an environmentally friendly and ecologically sound manner. This is very important to us since first of all, we love the ocean!”

“We help our customers achieve nourished, healthy, and vibrant-looking skin,” he said. “We do this by combining the finest ingredients the ocean has to create unique facial products that gently cleanse, hydrate and balance your skin.”

Three products are the beginning, says Fox.  He intends to grow the line with products, which address additional skincare needs, over the next few years. 

For more information about this release, contact: Charlene Hager-Van Dyke, Larry Vershel Communications, chagervandyke@yahoo.com

"SeaQuarius Skincare Products Could be Your Skin's Best Friend"! (article by Nancy Welker - FitBeautiful Magazine)

"We take great pride in creating products which are unlike anything you have ever used. The key ingredients infused into our scientifically advanced formulas are sourced from the vast Oceans and Seas around the world........" From the SeaQuarius Website

Today we have with us Rick Fox, President, and Founder of SeaQuarius LLC, a company that is on the verge of launching a skin care product line that has been well-researched and expertly formulated. With his business based in Orlando, Florida, Rick has spent years working on this project. Read on to learn more about how "youthful aging skin care" may be possible!

FBM: "Thank you for joining us, Rick. Can you tell us about yourself and your company, SeaQuarius?"

RF: I am a lover of the ocean and for most of my youth have enjoyed spending long days and nights on and under the waves. Raised in south Miami, out of school leisure activities were in the waters of the Florida Keys. On weekends and during the hot summer months I could be found fishing and diving on the living coral reef and on the edge of the deep blue Gulfstream current from Key Largo all the way down to Key West and beyond. These years, spent with the salty water literally up into my nose, provided me with a deep appreciation for the beauty and bounty of the sea. SeaQuarius LLC. is my expression, originating from these early years, to create and bring to the market marine skin care which directly connects us to the botanical, elemental and biological treasures of the Sea.

FBM: "What made you choose to use ocean-derived ingredients as opposed to any others?"

RF: I love the ocean.  Oceanography and Marine Biology were my original interests of study at Florida State University.  Ocean-derived ingredients can have unique interactions with the human skin which many land-based components simply cannot achieve.

We have partnered with established biotech and aquaculture companies, around the world, who have the necessary research capabilities to discover, evaluate and affirm novel and mysterious ocean ingredients for their use in our skin care formulas. Our sea-sourced formulas contain specially chosen, concentrated and highly active marine isolates which vary in biological and chemical composition from those of land based.

FBM: "Tell us more about your product line. What is the name of it? How much advance work did you do before you decided to produce it? How long has it been in the research and development stage?"

RF: Our product offerings come under the principal brand of SeaQuarius® Skin Care. The brand name Sea Clean represents our gentle sea infused, cleansing product. The Sea Serum consists of highly concentrated marine botanical, biological and elemental ingredients to be absorbed into the skin after cleansing. We also have an SPF 25 facial sun protection product in development which will deliver numerous health benefits to the skin in addition to the sun protection factor provided. The Sea Serum is simple to use and offers intense hydration, protection from the harsh environment, stimulation of skin cell renewal as well as help to prevent the degradation of collagen and elastin in the skin.

We work closely with ingredient supply companies in their R & D laboratories. The molecular chemistry behind our formulas is our greatest challenge and opportunity. It is a challenge to formulate within specified guidelines of sustainability, safety and effectiveness, however, meeting and exceeding these obstacles provides the very reasons why we are in business.

FBM: "When should your products become available, and will they be sold to the general public or just to professionals?"

RF: We anticipate the official release sometime in 2013. The ease of use, of our sea sourced skin care products, makes them compatible to the final end user. This end user, rather than professionals, is our primary customer and this helps us provide more economic value than if intermediaries were needed.

FBM: "What do you see as the future of your company?"

RF: As founder of SeaQuarius LLC., I see myself continuing to develop, market and manage additional diverse and marine oriented product lines which directly connect individuals to numerous benefits of the Sea.

FBM: "How do you define beauty?"

RF: From the physical perspective and as it relates to skin, healthy skin is more beautiful skin. Treat it well and feed your skin with nutrition from the sea. This will yield smoother more radiant and more beautiful skin.

Thank you, Rick, for being with us today. I'm sure everyone is going to be eagerly awaiting the arrival of SeaQuarius products!

Copyright © by Nancy Welker. All Rights Reserved By Nancy Welker, founder FitBeautiful Magazine

"Marine Ingredients Poised for Accelerated Development."

By Steve Dillingham, Contributing Editor "Inside Cosmeceuticals" (Excerpt)

It is no surprise, perhaps, that the biggest potential source for new, bio-active ingredients for the health and beauty market may originate from the Ocean. With so many new species of marine life still to be discovered, the potential for new marine-derived compounds and extracts is immense, and the industry is poised for accelerated development in the near future. Later this year, the final results of the Census of Marine Life will be revealed. This 10-year ambitious initiative, driven by a global network of researchers in about 80 nations, is intended to assess and explain the diversity, distribution, and abundance of marine life in the world’s oceans. This massive study will tell us about newly identified marine organisms and marine life not previously known. This news is exciting, as new promising bacteria, organisms, and compounds will be likely discovered, providing a potential treasure trove of new marine ingredient products.

SeaQuarius, a marine cosmeceutical company based in Florida, finds this very exciting as well. Rick Fox, president of SeaQuarius, is optimistic about the direction this new discovery effort could lead for his company and the industry as a whole.Although the bulk of marine bioprospecting activity today is
targeted for marine compounds effective in disease prevention and cure, SeaQuarius is hopeful more attention will be given to other applications in the future, such as for cosmetics and personal care. With the recent advancements in DNA sequencing and screening, combined with the increased efforts in marine bioprospecting, the natural expectation is there will be an exponential increase in new compounds of potential interest, including compounds which could exhibit valuable properties for possible use in cosmetics, personal care, and nutraceuticals. Work in this area is currently ongoing in the northern part of Norway through their MabCent consortium, including bioprospecting and screening activities, and a Biobank. MabCent’s discovery area lies off the coast of Northern Norway, which is considered a rich hunting ground for marine species such as bacteria, crustaceans, mollusks, annelids and sponges producing novel compounds of interest. In Scotland, they are opening a new £1.6M Marine Biodiscovery Center this summer, where research will target high-value chemicals for use in such applications as pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and personal care products. The activities at both centers promise strong potential for new raw material discoveries and ingredient sources for the cosmetic industry.

By Steve Dillingham, principal of Strategro International, a go-to-market, and business growth consultancy focused on the commercial development of functional ingredients towards the health and wellness sector.