Interview: “Sustainable Beauty”
Dr. Florian Wecker, co-founder of the German Sustainability Award, in conversation with Sven Ingo Jarck, CEO and founder of caremare.
1. Mr. Jarck, you come from the advertising and marketing world. What motivated you to found a sustainable cosmetics company?
Sven Jarck:
For many years, I did marketing and advertising for large brand manufacturers and retailers. At some point, I asked myself: What is it all about – besides consumption? That's when I felt the desire to build my own brand that combines consumption with active sustainability. I also have two sons, now 17 and 19 years old, and of course, because of them, I also think about how we leave our planet to the next generation.
This is where my personal connection to the sea came into play: I've been diving and sailing since childhood; the oceans are an emotional piece of home for me, and I truly know no one who doesn't love the sea with its tranquility and at the same time powerful energy. Unfortunately, plastic has become ubiquitous in this fascinating habitat. In today's world, much revolves around preserving beauty and health – I think this should absolutely apply to nature as well. caremare arose from this inner need to combine beauty with responsibility.
2. caremare relies on the combination of powerful natural cosmetics and marine protection. How exactly does that work?
Sven Jarck:
We combine active effects on the skin and the environment. Our Ageless Skin Formula is based on highly potent algae active ingredients and replaces conventional, often problematic substances with natural alternatives.
In parallel, all green parts of our packaging are made from 100% upcycled #tide ocean material – marine plastic that we thus permanently remove from the ecosystem.
3. Many brands talk about sustainability. What do you do differently?
Sven Jarck:
We didn't want to be "a bit more sustainable" but rather measurably effective. For us, it's not just about avoiding harm, but actively improving things.
That's why we work according to three clear principles:
- Zero-Bullshit Formulas – free from microplastics, silicones, mineral oil, synthetic polymers, PEGs, parabens, paraffins, and perfume.
- Marine High-Performance – natural active power instead of synthetic substitutes.
- Beauty as an Attitude – every product actively contributes to marine protection.
This happens, on the one hand, through the use of upcycled marine plastic for packaging and, on the other hand, through the support of NGOs dedicated to the protection of marine ecosystems. We are particularly committed to the Iberian Orca Guardians Foundation by Sarah Connor and Janek André, which works to preserve the last approximately 35 Iberian orcas.
4. You mention algae active ingredients. Why do they play such a central role at caremare?
Sven Jarck:
Algae are the sustainable high-performance active ingredients of the future. They grow extremely fast, require no agricultural land, and are rich in bioactive substances. They also bind CO₂ and convert it into oxygen and biomass – they are true climate protectors.
For the skin, they are a blessing: they not only replace chemical active ingredients but are often more effective and significantly more tolerable.
5. Where does the plastic you use for your packaging come from?
Sven Jarck:
Almost all Ocean-Bound Plastic is collected in the coastal regions of Southeast Asia and upcycled by #tide into a high-quality material through a technically sophisticated process. Soft components such as airless vacuum bags are unfortunately challenging – here we currently still have to use virgin material, but we are intensively working on recycled or biodegradable alternatives.
We see this as a journey: every step counts – and we consistently continue.
6. Considering the millions of tons of plastic that enter the ocean every year – can your initiative really make a difference?
Sven Jarck:
I think every initiative makes a difference. What's crucial is not just the amount of plastic #tide retrieves, but the impact we create on the consumer.
For our initial production, we used about three tons of upcycled marine plastic. For that, a total of about 10 to 12 tons of waste were recovered from the sea. The remaining, unusable plastic and other waste are fed into the local waste and recycling economy – and that is the beginning.
If consumers understand that sustainable consumption is possible without sacrificing quality – and actively demand it – a domino effect will occur. The impact would be enormous.
In the long term, plastic as a packaging material must be replaced. Then our intensive efforts would lead to a real transformation.
7. Where can consumers buy your products?
Sven Jarck:
From January in our online shop caremare.com, at Müller Online, at Galeria Online, as well as in selected Galeria department stores with a new beauty concept.
Of course, we wish for more retail partners, because the goal is to reach as many people as possible with our actively sustainable high-performance natural cosmetics.
8. How do you see the future of sustainable consumption?
Sven Jarck:
I am convinced that brands that bravely invest in sustainability today will be the role models of their industry tomorrow. And I believe that consumption can be more than satisfying an impulse – it can generate good karma.
9. And where is caremare heading?
Sven Jarck:
We want to become a leading European brand for marine natural cosmetics. In addition to the constant development of our active ingredient complexes, we want to use this growth to further expand marine protection and initiate additional collaborations that achieve real ecological impact.
And if I may dream, I would wish that we could eventually produce our packaging from biodegradable, natural raw materials because there simply isn't enough marine plastic anymore – that would be a fantastic moment.
Mr. Jarck, I wish you and caremare great success and look forward to seeing you again at the German Sustainability Award 2025.
Written by Sven Jarck
