72 MARINE INGREDIENTS
to the exposome (external agents). This layer is composed of two groups of lipids: i) sebaceous lipids, found in approximately 25%, and mainly produced from skin microbiota metabolism;4
ii )
Stratum corneum structural lipids that play a key role in the skin barrier function. Three main structural lipids are found:
ceramides (50%), cholesterol (10%), and free fatty acids (25%)3
(Figure 2). Ceramides found in
the stratum corneum, in order of abundance are ceramides AH (22%) and NS (21%), ceramide AS (18%), ceramide NP (13%), and ceramide AP (4%).5 As human skin barrier, phytoplankton cells
contain a cell membrane that protects the cell from the exposome. Some lipids are ubiquitous as they are found in human epidermis but also in the phytoplankton structures. For instance, regarding ceramides,
Tetraselmis sp. presents glucosylceramides in its cell structure.6
Other lipids with skin barrier
functions like lysophosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylcholine have been detected in other species of marine phytoplankton.2,7,8 MC Actives’ Oceamides marine ingredient
- hereafter called the marine ceramide - comes from the extraction of the microalga Nannochloropsis oculata. It is inspired by human epidermal lipids, as lipidomic analysis (Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry) confirmed the presence of ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids.
The marine ceramide contains similar
ceramides to those found in the human skin barrier (Figure 3) like ceramide NS, and ceramide NP, but also other lipid classes common to human skin barrier such as phosphatidylcholine, triacylglycerides, and diacylglycerides, all lipids with reported bioactivity related to skin barrier function.
Marine ceramides boosting the skin barrier function Marine ceramides and other lipids are molecules highly functional with reported bioactivity related to the skin barrier function (Table 1). Their bioactivity is focused on recovering the skin barrier integrity but also protecting it. Some ceramides are focused on the skin
barrier protection, such as ceramide NP, through cell adhesion enhancement. Among other functions, this ceramide increases filaggrin and caspase-14 expression.9,10
Keratinocytes are
linked thanks to different molecules. One of them is filaggrin (FLG), an epidermal protein produced by keratinocytes that accomplishes important functions on the skin barrier. FLG plays a critical role in cell adhesion, as its function is to aggregate keratin filaments.10
Epidermal lipids organization
Ceramides Glucosyl-ceramide
Cholesterol Fatty acid
Sphingolipids Phospholipids
Figure 2: Layers of the epidermis and its lipidic composition. Adapted from Vietri Rudan & Watt, 2021
The functions of FLG related to skin barrier include: increases tight intercellular junctions leading to enhanced cell adhesion; maintains pH promoting skin health microbiota; regulates the activity of certain enzymes such as proteases avoiding inflammation; and increases natural moisturizing factors (NMF) necessary for skin barrier to retain water.18 Caspase-14 plays an important role in the
formation of the skin barrier, processing FLG into the NMF19
. Ceramide NP together with
phosphatidylcholine are osmoprotectants,11,14 playing a key role in protecting skin barrier, especially under conditions of osmotic stress, such as dehydration. Osmoprotectants (osmolytes) retain water, protect cells, and strengthen the skin barrier. Cell adhesion and osmoprotection are
not the only mechanisms because lipids and ceramides are good protectors of the epidermis. Keratinocyte proliferation promotes the epidermal layers renewal, leading to a younger and healthier skin. Phospholipids such as lysophosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine, and triglycerides and diacylglycerides have been reported to promote keratinocyte proliferation.13,16,17,3 Inflammation is the natural response after
an injury or irritation; however, excessive inflammation damages skin cells and weaken the epidermis. Anti-inflammatory lipids like phosphatidylcholine protects the cells against inflammation releasing inflammatory-response compounds such as nitrite or prostaglandin E2.15
Moreover, ceramides such as
glucosylceramide accomplish a protection function diminishing the excessive formation of ROS,12
which ultimately leads to oxidative stress
and lipid oxidation. Epidermis repair is highly linked to epidermal
renewal due to keratinocytes proliferation. Lipids mentioned above that promote keratinocyte proliferation (lysophosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, triglycerides or diglycerides) renew epidermal layers through epidermal cells proliferation.
The first marine ceramide boosting the skin barrier function The marine ceramide, a lipid-based active inspired by human epidermal lipids helps to i) recover the skin barrier integrity, ii) protect the skin barrier, and iii) regenerate the skin barrier. The marine ceramide based on the
microalga Nannochloropsis oculata provides the skin barrier with the natural lipids found in the human skin, increasing its integrity. Skin barrier integrity is related to the protection offered by the epidermis. As integrity increases, protection also increases. Triglycerides, and diglycerides detected in the marine ceramide promote keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation, leading to the epidermis renewal and specialization.3,13 Moreover, there are specific molecules like phosphatidylcholine found in the marine ceramide ingredient that have a high affinity to retain water due to their osmoprotection effect.14 The key ceramides found in the marine
ceramide active are ceramide NS and ceramide NP, which boost the integrity of skin barrier, leading to an increased protection. Also found are triglycerides and diglycerides, that promote keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation, increasing skin barrier repairing (renewal) properties.
Figure 3: Lipidic groups with reported bioactivity on skin barrier function detected in the marine ceramide ingredient. Phosphatidylcholine (PC), triacylglycerides (TAGs), diacylglycerides (DAGs), ceramide 2 (NS), ceramide 3 (NP)
PERSONAL CARE April 2025
In vitro skin barrier study in a 3D human epidermis model SKIN barrier protection: increased
www.personalcaremagazine.com
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