MARINE INGREDIENTS
Natural marine ceramide for skin barrier
Pilar Águila, Juan Pablo De la Roche - MC Actives ABSTRACT
The ageing process leads to a thinning of the epidermal layers by 6.4% per decade. Pollution, lifestyle or UV radiation increase ROS levels, which promotes oxidative stress and damages the skin’s barrier function. As a result, the skin turns dry and aged due to loss of integrity, protection and poor regeneration. MC Actives has developed Oceamides®, the first natural marine ceramide from phytoplankton. This innovative ceramide strengthens the skin’s barrier, enhancing its integrity, protection and regeneration. It provides a natural alternative to non-natural ceramides. Through a sustainable biotechnological extraction process, the marine ceramide retains its natural efficacy and, thanks to its water solubility, is easy to incorporate into formulations. It is the ideal ingredient for creams and serums aimed at enhancing the skin’s natural barrier
The ageing process produces a thinning of the epidermal layers by 6.4% per decade.1 Pollution, lifestyle, or UV radiation lead to ROS production, which promotes oxidative stress, damaging the skin barrier. If stressors are constant and intense, the epidermis will not be able to withstand the threats on its own, making it undergo changes in structure and composition, and hence, losing its functionality as a skin barrier. The implications of a weakened epidermal
barrier are I) loss of integrity, II) loss of protection, and III) less regeneration potential (Figure 1).
Loss of integrity is influenced by a decrease
in ceramides and total lipid content, and less cell adhesion. The skin barrier offers less resistance to external agents than a healthy one. A decrease in skin ceramides and lipid content can be caused by decreased cell regeneration, lipid peroxidation or the thinning of the skin layers. Loss of protection is influenced by a
decrease in ceramides and total lipid content, and less cell adhesion. In a weak skin barrier, there are more lysed cells after an aggression. Epidermal junctions undergo structural changes, resulting in more space between cells,
less junctions and the appearance of wrinkles.1 Loss of regeneration potential is caused by
a weak skin barrier that less cell proliferation potential than a healthy one, slowing wound healing power.
Marine and human lipids: different origin, same function The surface of Earth is more than 70% water, of which 97% is concentrated in the oceans. Life on Earth began in the so-called primitive soup where the first simple organisms appeared. Phytoplankton (microalgae & cyanobacteria) has been inhabiting the oceans and seas of vast regions of the planet for millions of years as they are very resilient and resistant organisms. Phytoplankton cells have developed mechanisms to adapt to adverse situations, such as high temperatures or high salinity. Some species, such as Nannochloropsis oculata, respond to stress with an overproduction of lipids, including ceramides. Those molecules act by providing the microalgae with structural stability, boosting the barrier function.2 Barrier function boosting, provided by
ceramides and other lipids, is not unique to phytoplankton; indeed, this characteristic is shared with human cells. The epidermis, also known as the skin barrier, can be divided in four sublayers, that are (from deepest to shallowest): stratum basale, stratum spinosum, stratum granulosum, and stratum corneum3
(Figure 2). Figure 1: Representation of a weakened skin barrier and the implications on the skin health
www.personalcaremagazine.com Stratum corneum is the layer most exposed April 2025 PERSONAL CARE
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