Portland startup Marin Skincare finds space on L.L.Bean shelves
Courtesy / Marin Skincare
Marin co-founders Amber Boutiette and Patrick Breeding, seen here at their L.L. Bean display, have seen 400% revenue growth year over year and since launching two years ago.
Marin Skincare, a Portland startup that produces a skin cream using a lobster byproduct, has scored featured placement at L.L.Bean’s Home Store on its flagship campus in Freeport.
“When we developed Marin, the goal was to help as many people as possible with a product we knew could be a game changer,” Marin’s co-founder and CEO, Patrick Breeding, said in a news release. “Having our soothing hydration cream available to customers at L.L.Bean is an exciting step forward in our company’s growth that stays true to our roots.”
Breeding was a biomedical engineering grad student at the University of Maine when, with his co-founder Amber Boutiette, also a UMaine biomedical engineering student, he started working with the glycoproteins found in lobsters.
For years, Breeding had watched Boutiette struggle with eczema. She tried various products, including steroids, but could not find relief. They realized the glycoproteins could be a potential remedy.
The pair developed the product to alleviate the dry, aggravated skin associated with eczema, psoriasis and other dermatitis conditions.
The company was founded in 2020 and now has five employees.
Glycoproteins are naturally abundant in lobsters and other marine resources, Breeding said. The substance helps repair and protect the lobster’s outer barrier from physical and environmental stressors while also playing a critical role in balancing the internal health of the crustacean.
Breeding connected with Luke’s Lobster founder and CEO, Luke Holden, to collaborate on a method to collect glycoprotein from lobsters at Luke’s Lobster’s Saco processing plant.
Through Holden, they identified a manufacturer for the skin cream: Ariel Laboratories in South Plainfield, N.J., a privately held firm that specializes in product development and manufacturing of personal care and cosmetics.
After some ups and downs in the product’s development, they launched the first batch in October 2021. Within two months, the product sold out.
The company moved from Breeding and Boutiette’s home in South Portland to an office and warehouse on Riverside Street in Portland with a lab where testing is done on the glycoproteins.
Now the business has hit seven figures in sales.
L.L.Bean employees were educated about the product and, within three weeks, 70% of the first order was sold and the Freeport-based retailer has now placed a second order.
“We appreciate the opportunity to feature other Maine companies at our flagship store in Freeport, especially one like Marin Skincare that is creating sustainable products from Maine’s most iconic natural resource,” said Jennifer Benevides, L.L. Bean’s director of merchandising for home and travel.
The product has received nearly 2,000 positive reviews.
Marin continues tyo work with Luke’s Lobster to upcycle lobster glycoproteins, which otherwise go down the drain in processors. To date, over 3 tons of lobster processing waste has been saved.
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments