What We Make
We create uniquely foundational products that unravel the core issues behind universal skin challenges.
These fresh, plant-forward formulas work with skin’s natural intelligence for elevated results from within, where it all begins.
The results are real, lasting, and profound.
Here’s how we do it:
We work directly with foragers & farmers to harvest sustainably from pristine, untouched environments.
Led by the way our ingredients function in nature, we design formulas that maximize their potential for skin.
We develop products differently, drawing on decades of insight into real-world needs and their underlying causes.
Our Commitments
fresh ingredients
Our products are built on the power of sustainably sourced ingredients, chosen from specific locations, with artisans who work primarily with fine dining establishments. Just like the great chefs they work with, we’re happy to be their champions.
One of our signature ingredients is the wild brown seaweed of the Pacific coast, Giant Kelp. This majestic plant is rich in anti-inflammatory alginate gel and the powerful polysaccharide fucoidan, and it grows up to 2 feet per day.
Our seaweed forager, Ian, sustainably hand-harvests live wild kelp at sea, only trimming the top part of the plant. Picture Ian in a boat, leaning over and using a Victorinox kitchen knife to trim less than 4 feet of kelp at a time: that’s exactly what happens. (Ian really knows his stuff, by the way. He has a BA in Tropical Horticulture and a Master’s in Conservation Biology and Environmental Science.)
The amount we harvest from these abundant kelp beds grows back within a week. To ensure maximum potency, we clean and process the kelp immediately after each harvest and test each batch for purity. You'll find this kelp in all of our facial serums as well as our Sea Soak; you'll also find Ian's seaweed on the plates of Michelin-starred restaurants from California to New York. We believe it's the best you can get.
Did you know that microplastics are found in about 90% of table salt? (Now you do.)
We get our special sea salt from Carlo, a devoted salt artisan in Big Sur. To make it, he filters Big Sur seawater — which is already pristine — nine times, because luckily for us all, Carlo finds the thought of microplastics in salt to be abhorrent.
Carlo then brings the water to a greenhouse, where he built special wooden salt beds lined with bentonite clay. He waits for it to evaporate, which takes about four months, then breaks it up with a big shovel to get those beautiful pieces you see in your Sea Soak.
Carlo’s salt happens to be a favorite finishing salt of local chefs in the finest restaurants (like that of The Post Ranch Inn) due to its incomparable saltiness, freshness, and purity. It's also higher in a number of trace minerals, like potassium and calcium, than salt made from water elsewhere along the California coast.
We source our medicinal herbs for Relax Infusion from a small organic family farm in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. The Maupin family has lived and cultivated the land there since 1642; Gilles Maupin, the proprietor of La Ferme Saint-Sylvain, rediscovered his agricultural roots in the late 2010s after a career in construction.
As he became more devoted to sustainability and the health of his family land, Gilles dedicated himself to the cultivation of organic medicinal plants, eventually cultivating more than 40 varieties with a constant focus on biodiversity, sustainability, and the well-being of both its customers and the earth.
From sowing to planting, weeding, harvesting, sorting, and packaging, every step of the process at this beautiful farm is manual and artisanal, conducted with great care to preserve the optimal benefits of each particular plant. With its vast meadows, rich soil, and mild climate, the farm’s herbs develop in optimal conditions, resulting in beautiful, aromatic varieties with an unparalleled depth of flavor.
Sustainable packaging
You’ll see this design on every Dara Kennedy product. Created by our brilliant friends at Office, its intricate, organic pattern is imbued with a sense of movement, composed of individually beautiful pieces that combine and connect in a joyful way to make an even more powerful, beautiful whole.
We think it couldn’t be more fitting: in our view, the true power of anything — an ingredient, a product, a person — is unlocked by the way in which it works with others, in a virtuous circle, towards a beautiful goal.
In accordance with that belief, we've worked hard to integrate sustainable solutions throughout our products, opting for local suppliers and recycled or recyclable and compostable materials wherever possible.
(Wondering how what to do with your leftover seaweed? These suggestions from our seaweed forager, Ian, might change your life…or at least that of your houseplants.)
giving back
We pride ourselves on going above and beyond with our commitments to the planet and our partners: we believe even small, independent businesses like ours can make a difference.
Our relationship-focused approach to ingredient sourcing is mirrored by our commitment to giving back to the planet in a way that connects us more deeply to one another.
We’re proud members of 1% for the Planet, and while 1% is great, 5% is even better. That’s how much of every Dara Kennedy product sale goes to a carefully-vetted organization chosen specifically for each product.
You can learn about a few of the organizations we admire below.
Reef Check Foundation is an incredible “citizen science” nonprofit that educates and empowers anyone who’s SCUBA certified to help with marine conservation efforts.
Climate Changemakers is a nonpartisan climate action network (now part of the Climate Reality Project) that equips volunteers to advance equitable, science-based policies.
Since 1981, the Parks Conservancy has served as the nonprofit partner of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) — the most-visited site in the entire US National Park System.
