Portland startup Marin Skincare launches lobster-based lip treatment

Courtesy / Marin Skincare Marin Skincare co-founder Amber Boutiette is shown in an advertisement for the new lobster-based lip balm.

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By Alexis Wells

Portland startup Marin Skincare, known for its "lobster lotion," is expanding that product line to include lip treatments.

Founded out of the University of Maine Lobster Institute, the company has had success launching a body lotion that helps treat dry, aggravated skin associated with eczema, psoriasis and other dermatitis conditions.

Co-founders Amber Boutiette and Patrick Breeding, who were recently named to the 2023 Mainebiz 40 Under 40, spent a year developing the lip treatment.

The product is intended to "deeply hydrate, repair, smooth, soothe and protect lips," the company said in a news release. It can be used for everyday dry, chapped lips and conditions like perioral dermatitis — eczema around the lips and mouth.

Like Marin’s other product, the new hydrating lip balm uses a healing lobster glycoprotein as its key ingredient. Glycoproteins, which are abundant in lobsters and other marine species, help repair and protect the lobster’s outer shell from physical and environmental stressors while also playing a critical role in the internal health of the lobster.

“It was so rewarding to see these glycoproteins from lobsters helping others in the same way they helped me, and it was just the beginning,” said Boutiette.

“My eczema was really bad not only around my eyes and face but also on and around my lips, so I knew from experience that there weren’t products that addressed this painful problem,” she continued. “There was a serious need for lip products designed to be safe and effective for this delicate area that everyone can use — we knew we had to introduce a lip treatment.”

The launch of the lip treatment is the next step in Marin’s growth from a built-at-home Maine business to a company with six employees and a 3,000-square-foot office.

Marin sources its key ingredient, lobster glycoprotein, from a Maine seafood company Luke's Lobster. And over the past three years, they Marin has established a retail partnership with the retailers L.L.Bean and Sea Bags.

“We never could’ve fathomed how impactful Marin has become, and it’s still just the beginning of our product pipeline,” said Breeding. “As strange as it sounds, there’s no doubt about it — lobster glycoproteins are changing peoples’ lives. We are excited to add lip treatments to our line; they’re big problem solvers that are really going to help others.”