People around the world have been looking to the ocean as a source of both physical nutrition and skin wellness for millennia. It’s only natural that we would turn to the greatest source of life on earth to find the next generation of marine plants.
First a bit of history, the people of the South Pacific used seaweeds such as Limu for nutrition and spice, as well as medicinal purposes due to the focodian found within its cell structure. Filipinos use marine algae to make noodles and other food products. The native and modern people of the North Atlantic use a variety of seaweeds and kelps for everything from making breads to treating illnesses; one of the most popular treatments at Icelandic spas is a seaweed wrap that utilizes blue green algae to cleanse and detoxify the skin. In North America, kelp extracts are used in everything from toothpaste to food additives, to shampoos and even as a source of alternative fuels.
In the cosmeceutical world, it’s no secret that some of the most luxurious skin care lines in the world utilize marine-based plants and phyto-planktons in their topical applications.
One of the most promising marine plants to be extensively researched around the world is a little green algae, Haematococcus pluvialis, otherwise known as astaxanthin. This little green plant byproduct actually turns red once consumed and is in fact quickly becoming the carotenoid of choice for a host of medical and skin benefits.
What’s so special about astaxanthin? Well, according to the research it’s one of the most powerful natural antioxidants known to man. Besides being 550 times more powerful than vitamin E, and 10 times more powerful than its better-known cousin beta-carotene, it’s one of the few antioxidants that doesn’t turn into vitamin A in the body, meaning you can’t get too much of it. As well, astaxanthin is one of the few antioxidants that can pass through the blood brain barrier and can protect the health of the central nervous system. It protects the skin cells when applied topically, but also works throughout the entire body, including the brain, heart, eyes, joints and deep skin tissue when taken as a supplement.
One company using astaxanthin to its full potential is Ocean Grown International (OGI). Its line of skin care products, as well as supplements emphasizes astaxanthin’s incredible but relatively unknown potential.
Alexandra Bowman, OGI’s vice president of marketing said: “We were amazed not just the amount of human research done on astaxanthin, but the variety of potential benefits. We decided to incorporate astaxanthin in our OAVE Face™ and Body™ product for both its anti-aging properties, as well as its natural ability to protect the skin from ultraviolet damage without harmful additives. Later we also introduced a skinceutical dietary supplement that combines natural astaxanthin and krill oil (an omega-3 source)."
Why haven’t you heard of astaxanthin before? Well, you actually may have, if you’ve been watching the debate over farm-raised salmon versus wild caught. You may have heard the arguments about the superior tissue quality and health of wild caught salmon versus the abundant supply of farm raised. What makes the difference between the two? You guessed it, astaxanthin. It seems that wild salmon eat shrimp that contain astaxanthin and the antioxidant deposits itself in their muscle tissue, hence the red coloring and superior quality. Wild salmon depend on this antioxidant to travel upstream leaping over waterfalls and swimming the equivalent of a never ending marathon. Farm-raised salmon however, are fed a diet of pulp and other proteins and fillers. In order to get the proper red “coloring”, which we now know is much more about the health of the fish’s tissue than getting the color right for consumers, many commercial salmon farmers have had to rely on artificial colorants and synthetic astaxanthin so consumers will buy what would otherwise be gray salmon fillets.
So what does this mean to you? Since it’s not likely that you’ll be swimming upstream and jumping over waterfalls anytime soon, it might be easy to dismiss the benefits of this little marine plant, but the fact is, in today’s fast-paced, high-stress, pollution-oriented environment, we need all the protection we can get and astaxanthin may be the next anti-aging superfood. Besides, who couldn’t use a little younger looking skin and stronger muscles to go with your new beach body? Who knew the ocean was for more than just making your bikini look good.
Kerry Brown is the president of OceanGrown™ International. He grew up surfing, boating and fishing off the Florida coast. Drawn to the power and magnificence of the Atlantic Ocean, he became forever connected to its tides. Years later, after significant business experience within the nutritional industry and travel throughout the world, he decided to share his passion for the ocean. The allure, appeal and authority of the ocean’s offerings are now shared with a global marketplace through a distinctive lifestyle brand, OGI. Kerry has an MBA from the University of Utah.