Marin Soothing Hydration Cream

My Interest in Marin

As I’ve mentioned previously, I have blepharitis, the medical term for eyelid inflammation. My eyelids are red. Also, when my dry eyes make tears, they are often acidic and burn the skin near my eyelids. 

An ad for a cream that helped soothe and treat eczema on eyelids jumped out at me. Marin Soothing Hydration Cream for face, hands and body is formulated for sensitive, dry, damaged, or eczema-prone skin. While I don’t have eczema, I thought that Marin might be worth trying.

How Marin Came To Be

The product was created with Dr. Bob Bayer who was researching uses for byproducts generated from lobster processing along the coast of Maine. One of the prime movers of the project was a bioengineer with eczema who was looking for a treatment that really worked. Turned out to be a match made in heaven.

How Does Marin Work?

Marin Soothing Hydrating Cream is formulated with upcycled lobster glycoproteins (large proteins surrounded by sugar). Lobster glycoproteins are regenerative glycoproteins that are involved in healing wounds, fighting disease and regenerating limbs in the crustaceans. Here’s how Marin describes the lobster glycoproteins:

“Found in the lobsters circulatory fluid, they are natural byproducts of lobster processing, going right down the drain! These oxygen transporting, copper-based glycoproteins are surrounded by sugar groups, making them incredibly water-soluble/water-attracting, and surprisingly multi-faceted for skin barrier nourishment, soothing and repairing.”

In vitro (i.e. in the lab), glycoproteins are good at:

• Increasing dermal and epidermal barrier health and repair
• Stimulating fibroblast proliferation
• Increasing natural Hyaluronic Acid production
• Stimulating Collagen synthesis
• Increasing overall skin cell viability

After doing the lab work, the folks at Marin partnered with dermatologists and third-party researchers to investigate the efficacy of marine glycoproteins on atopic dermatitis in humans, i.e. clinical research. Everyone was blown away by the results. After the first use, 78.8% reported relief from the symptoms of eczema. After 4 weeks of use, participants reported:

• 90.9% reported less dry, itchy, red, flaky skin
• 97% reported that their skin looked and felt better and healthier

How to Use Marin

Per usual, I didn’t read the instructions. I just went for it. I squeezed out some of the thick, white, unscented cream out of the tube.

Oddly, the cream felt like it had a little grit within the cream. Silly me, at first I thought maybe the “grit” was ground up lobster shells. I probably should have returned the tube to The Paper Store where I bought it and exchanged it for another tube, but I soldiered on. As I used more, the grit lessened and then disappeared. Now, it’s just a smooth cream.

I put a bit of it on my skin to the right of my left orbital socket, the area that often feels burned by my acidic tears. The good news about the cream is that it stays where you put it, it absorbs quickly, and it is greaseless.

I also have some issues with skin on my hands: I get exfoliative keratolysis (explained here) on my thumbs. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but my skin cells turn over too quickly and die leaving me with peeling and ultimately bleeding skin on my thumbs. Creams containing urea are what I typically use to prevent the exfoliative keratolysis from getting out of control. I thought I would try Marin instead. 

In childhood, I developed a wart on my right hand. I thought it was gross. My mother took me to the pediatrician to look at it. Honestly, it was so long ago, I can’t remember what he did to get rid of it. Recently, however, I have a small red patch where the wart had been many decades ago. I am trying Marin on it now.

Marin recommends applying Marin Soothing Hydration Cream twice a day. Because I hadn’t read the instructions, I only applied it once. The instructions also recommend using the cream daily because it works over time. I used it haphazardly initially.

My Results with Marin Cream So Far

Nevertheless, I have had good luck with Marin. The patch of skin on my eye has healed. Next, I am going to see if it will make a difference on my red eyelids themselves. And the exfoliative keratolysis on my thumbs healed. I am going to use Marin cream regularly on the spot on my right hand where the wart had been and see if the red area disappears and my skin goes back to smoothness.

Retail Info

Marin Soothing Hydration Cream comes in two sizes: 4 oz. and 1.75 oz. tubes. Frankly, I intended to buy the small size in order to try the cream first. But The Paper Store near me only had the larger size. Fortunately, I had a coupon for 30% off at The Paper Store so I figured it was worth it. The price for the 4 oz. tube is $34.99 and for the 1.75 oz. tube is $19.99.

Marin is also sold on the Marin Skincare website at the same prices as I mentioned above. You can save 10% on your first purchase. They also have discounts if you subscribe.

It is also carried by Down East Magazine, the magazine of Maine.

The cream is steroid-free, fragrance-free and parabens-free.

If you are allergic to shellfish, most likely you should pass on this product or discuss with your doctor first.

Ingredients: Water, Hemocyanin (Marine Glycoprotein), Butyrospermum Parkii Shea Butter Fruit, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Squalane, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Levulinate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Phytate