Algae - an untapped beauty ingredient?

Various algae strains are now widely employed in skincare products for various purposes, such as a moisturizer, anti-wrinkle agent, texture-enhancing agents, or sunscreen. However, algae remain largely untapped as an asset in the beauty industry as a primary active ingredient. There have been various studies come out about its unused potential.

Aslam, A., et al., in 2021, found macro and microalgae to be an attractive source for skincare and cosmetic use. They found that algae pigments and polysaccharides combat alopecia, depigmentation and skin aging and algal compounds restore the moisture and vitality in environmentally damaged skin.

Aslam, A., et al., (2021). Algae as an attractive source for cosmetics to counter environmental stress. Science of The Total Environment. Volume 772, 144905. Available online.

In 2015, Wang, H.M.D, et al. found that as algae contains functional antioxidants, alginates, polysaccharides and carotenoids, there are potential uses in the areas of anti-aging and pigmentation reduction products. They concluded that algae extracts contribute to skin health and vitality in practical cosmetic uses.

Wang, H.M.D, et al., (2015). Exploring the potential of using algae in cosmetics. Bioresource Technology. Volume 184. p355-362. Available online.

Later in 2017, Wang et al., found that marine macroalgae derived compounds are potential therapeutic agents in dermatology. Seaweed extracts were shown to protect skin from photo-damage and fight pigmentation of the skin. In addition, the antibacterial compounds derived from macroalgae were found to fight acne and chronic wounds.

Wang, H.M.D, et al., (2017). Potential biomedical applications of marine algae. Bioresource Technology. Volume 244, Part 2. p.1407-1415. Available online.