ALGAE INGREDIENTS
Mibelle Biochemistry. According to Montaño, the algae have “managed to create survival strategies which enable them to grow on glaciers and in permanent snow”.
“In order to survive in these harsh conditions, the snow algae have developed a kind of ‘sleeping beauty’ tactic, which is similar to hibernating, in which the organism slows down and reduces caloric intake,” she explains. “Calorie restriction has been shown to improve both the ‘health span’ and lifespan of individuals, and is thus considered to be a promising new anti-ageing pathway.”
The components that are excreted
by C. signiensis as part of this protective mechanism are extracted by Mibelle Biochemistry for their regenerative effect on skin cells. “By stimulating the Klotho longevity gene and the AMPK energy sensor that together lead to improved cellular defenses, oxidative stress resistance, cell detoxification and repair, the ageing process of the skin is slowed down,” says Montaño.
A new product from Lubrizol Life
Science, AlgaPūr High Stability High Oleic (HSHO) algae oil, likewise boasts a fascinating origin story, being derived originally from a microalgae sourced from tree sap.
“During its work to mitigate food insecurity and deforestation, our partner Corbion found a new, highly efficient source of oils,” Juliana Gomiero, Global Hair Care Marketing Manager at Lubrizol Life Science, tells Cosmetics Business.
“Based on the chemical composition of the bio-oil, we investigated the benefits it could bring to the skin and hair. We saw, for example, that
AlgaPūr HSHO algae oil performs well as an emollient or moisturiser in nourishing skin and hair care products. “We tend to relate algae with a marine origin. However, algae are also found in other environments, such as
plants. AlgaPūr HSHO algae oil is the perfect example of this because the microalgae used in its manufacturing was discovered in the sap of a chestnut tree in Germany.” Produced using fermentation, the ingredient ticks all sustainability boxes, being biodegradable with a low environmental footprint with respect to water, carbon and land use.
cosmeticsbusiness.com
Laminaria japonica (below) and other seaweeds have been used in traditional medicine for their anti-irritation, antibacterial and health-improving properties
AlgaPūr HSHO algae oil contains over 90% of omega 9 in a highly-stable,
liquid-based formula that is said to protect the hair fibre from breakage, repair split ends, provide shine, control frizz, improve manageability and condition. Benefits for the scalp, meanwhile, include an anti-ageing effect, photodamage repair and moisturisation.
HERE TO KELP
Marine environments are home to seaweeds, which like their single-cell cousins boast a plethora of potential uses in the beauty world. Clariant is one company that has sourced seaweed, in this instance Laminaria japonica, or kelp, for its anti-ageing properties. “This brown seaweed has an exceptionally valuable composition, rich in minerals, plant proteins, vitamins and fatty acids, which makes it a superfood ingredient with activities that can be used to improve skin quality,” says Werle.
Luckily for Clariant, there is a readily available supply of this feedstock with a strong pre-industrial upcycling claim.
“As kelp is commonly used for food, it is cultivated to produce large quantities,” Werle explains. “This kelp farming is an environmentally-friendly activity that helps maintain a healthy coastal water environment.” Moreover, Clariant’s Epseama ingredient specifically comes from seaweeds that are not considered ‘good looking’ enough to be used as premium food products, but which still have a valuable composition.
From an efficacy angle, Epseama is said to address the three main causes of ageing – chronoageing,
inflamm’ageing and photoageing – to reduce wrinkles, improve moisturisation and reduce spots on mature skin.
“It tackles the epigenetic science by upregulating a long non-coding RNA called nc866, whose expression is known to be reduced by ageing and UVB stress,” says Werle. “Nc866 regulates MMP-9 expression, an enzyme that degrades collagen fibres; therefore Epseama stimulates the presence of collagen fibres in skin tissue by protecting them from MMP-9 activity. Epseama also reinforces the dermis-epidermis junction to increase epidermis thickness.”
And Epseama is not the only seaweed-derived active ingredient from Clariant. It also offers Fuligo, extracted from Sargassum fusiforme, a brown seaweed growing wild on Jeju Island in South Korea. According to Werle, “Fuligo contains fucoidan, a molecule that boosts fibroblasts’ proliferation, improves their contraction and increases collagen synthesis. As a result, skin elasticity is improved and wrinkles are reduced on the face.”
This article touches on just a few of the novel active ingredients inspired by algae. And, as Ayats excitingly points out, there is a further array of benefits to be discovered, as “microalgae grow really fast [and] they tend to speciate very quickly – you can have two ponds that are close, but the microalgae in them are very different”. With this in mind, long may the hunt for beauty solutions continue
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