What do we know about Seaweed extract often used in skin care?

Seaweed is also known as Spirulina, green, red, brown, blue algae and kelp. Seaweed is packed with vitamins, minerals, trace elements, and amino acids that are essential in maintaining healthy and youthful skin. This natural marine wonder helps slow the aging skin process while protecting it from the harsh environmental elements in the air and water. Essential vitamins include: A1, B1, B2, B6, B12, C, E, K, pantothenic acid, folic acid, and niacin. As well as being rich with antioxidants such as beta-carotene and over 60 trace elements that include potassium, calcium, iodine, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc and manganese, seaweed is a major source of B12. Selenium and ascorbic acid protects the skin from damaging free radicals. Organic Iodine found in seaweed increases metabolism. Seaweed also contains fatty acids to combat skin irritation and inflammation.

Clinical trials have shown the ingredient to drastically reduce wrinkles and improve skin appearance. Both in vivo and in vitro tests were carried out on the ingredient, which was specifically developed for use in anti-ageing skin care applications. Targets glycation and preserves skin’s natural collagen In in-vitro tests, the ingredient was shown to inhibit skin degrading enzymes and the glycation process. Glycation is triggered when the naturally occurring sugar molecules in the skin bond to a protein or lipid molecule without the controlling action of an enzyme. The resulting glycation process impairs the functioning of biomolecules, which weakens the skin structure at a cellular level, leading to a less firm surface and a greater tendency towards wrinkling. In addition, it inhibits elastase and collagenase, two enzymes linked to the break down of the structural proteins elastin and collagen.

Seaweed improves skin appearance and proves to be effective in reducing skin aging, particularly in white Caucasian women, studies show. Subjects applied a formulation, at one per cent twice a day for 12 weeks, which resulted in a 9.45 per cent decrease in wrinkle depth. Expert grading carried out at the end of the study showed skin tone, firmness, and elasticity, showed an improvement of 67.6 per cent. Similarly, overall skin appearance improved 68.4 per cent. The expert grading also reported a 92.1 per cent improvement in skin dryness and roughness. Seaweed is a part of formulation of Sweetsation Therapy’s Aqua Tica Botanical Night Cream

Aqua Tica Organic Botanical Night Cream