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This is how algae rejuvenate the skin
They are full of vitamins, proteins, minerals and antioxidants. Algae provide the raw materials of the future for youthful, smooth skin. So far, biologists have listed around 35,000 species of algae, but have only researched around 800. And only 50 are used in skin care. In the near future, scientists could therefore find many more successful substances online. Because the types of algae that have been used to date already have great effects: the polysaccharides (sugar compounds) obtained from them, such as alginic acid, can store moisture in the skin for up to 24 hours. And the brown algae Laminaria (eg in Oceanwell products), exposed to constant stress due to the changing tide, has developed special protective substances to prevent drying out at low tide.
Creams with extracts of these substances make the skin look smooth, plumped up and elastic. Amino acids, one of the most important active ingredients in seaweed, stimulate the skin’s protein synthesis, thus stimulating the renewal of collagen and elastin fibres. The rejuvenation proteins are obtained from blue-green algae such as A.Flos-Aquae (e.g. in Biotherm). It comes from Upper Klamath Lake in the US state of Oregon, one of the purest lakes on earth. Their valuable anti-aging substances give the sensitive, thin skin around the eyes new firmness.
Algae protect the skin
Thanks to their vitamins and carotenoids, algae also make an important contribution to our skin care as a “protective force”.Astaxanthin is the name of a carotenoid (eg in Astalift products) that is produced by the freshwater green alga Haematococcus pluvialis. It lives in pools and ponds just below the water surface and forms orange-red pigments as protection against excessive UV radiation. Its natural antioxidant is said to be up to 1000 times more effective than coenzyme Q10. Japanese women have long sworn by creams containing astaxa thin to prevent pigment spots and premature wrinkles caused by the sun. The huge arsenal of valuable beauty ingredients also includes minerals and trace elements. Algae contain everything that the skin urgently needs for its metabolism in order to remainTolfioow and beautiful.
Another plus point: because the pH value of the algae is similar to that of our skin (pH 5.5), which is slightly acidic, it absorbs the extracts from the cream well and allows them to penetrate deep into the skin. Allergic reactions are unknown, which is why problem skin can also benefit from the beautifiers from the sea.
How does the algae get into the crucible?
The algae that the cosmetics companies use are harvested on remote stretches of coast, at great depths of the sea or, for the first time, on a sustainably producing German algae farm. The algae are thoroughly cleaned in the laboratory, then dried and processed into valuable extracts. For example by micro-pulverization. This procedure gently cracks open the cell walls – clearing the way to the beautifiers hidden in the cell nucleus.
Result: a naturally pure powder rich in active ingredients that is added to creams and serums. Some companies also cultivate algae strains in the laboratory under ideal conditions in order to further increase the concentration of the active substances. Or to obtain certain beauty substances using biotechnological processes.
By the way: Modern algae cosmetics also treat our noses with care – nothing smells stinky.
Algae are full of useful active ingredients
Filled up with fuel, algae protect themselves and our ecosystem Whether salt or fresh water, hot springs or arctic ice – algae are the “chameleons” of the underwater world, they adapt to all adversities. This is easy for them thanks to their extremely high nutrient density, which they achieve through osmosis. During this metabolic process, they use their entire surface to filter valuable fuel and store it in their cells. As a result, one kilogram of fresh algae contains as many amino acids, mineral salts, trace elements (e.g. iodine, iron, zinc, selenium), vitamins (A, B², B¹², C, D, E, and K), polyphenols and flavonoids as around 100,000 liters seawater. And researchers are still discovering new substances. For example, an enzyme that mitigates UV damage by repairing defects in the cell nucleus.
Algae also do a great deal for the environment: they filter toxins out of the water and are just as important as the tropical rain forests as CO2 storage and oxygen suppliers.
Algae can be used in many ways
The most beautiful spa treatments
Algae bath
This looks like a short 30-minute trip to the sea: Algae powder is dissolved in water at a temperature of around 38 degrees in a jacuzzi. Because algae are similar to human cells in their biological composition, the skin absorbs the active ingredients quickly. Then they get the metabolism going, tighten and purify the tissue. Stepping out of the tub feels a little groggy, but wonderfully relaxed. Then rest!
Algae pack
On a warmed “soft pack bed”, the body is brushed with algae pulp from neck to toe, wrapped in foil and wrapped in a warm blanket. At the push of a button, the lounger transforms into a waterbed, followed by 30 minutes of relaxation as if you were in Abraham’s lap.
Algae wrap
Bandages soaked with algae fluid are wrapped tightly around the stomach, buttocks and thighs and only removed after sweating under a warm blanket for 45 minutes. The success can be seen and measured: the increased lymph flow makes the skin much tighter and firmer.
Algen als Beauty-Food
Japanese eat seaweed very often. Maybe that’s why they live so long. Whether in teas, soups, salads or for wrapping sushi – Asians refine almost all dishes with the “sea vegetables”. Around 150 types of algae are suitable for eating. The cosmetics and nutritionist Petra Huber from Zurich, a qualified pharmacist, recommends that we all use them regularly. Because of the high iodine content, please do not exceed 30 grams per day. “Algae have a strong antioxidant and cell-protecting effect, and provide valuable proteins and dietary fiber,” says Huber. “In addition, they stimulate intestinal activity, bind toxins there and stimulate the immune system.” And although algae contain hardly any fat, they contain many unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, similar to fatty fish.
Also convincing: The wakame algae has a calcium content that is up to ten times higher than that of milk. The freshwater algae chlorella and spirulina are even offered as dietary supplements. Petra Huber’s tip for the daily algae ration: finely chopped, as a basis for soups or for seasoning salads and vegetables. Gourmets also like pasta with strips of seaweed, and pure seaweed salad with sesame seeds and sweet and sour sauce makes an interesting side dish.
Our ultimate goal: sustainability
Pontilus” carries us out onto the Kiel Fjord. A shaky thing, because the motorized, raft-like vehicle has no fixed railing, only ropes. Luckily, the 100 by 100 meter open-air algae farm “OceanBasis” is not far from the coast, but just behind the bridge at Holtenau within easy reach of the Baltic Sea. “The current conditions are ideal here,” explains marine biologist Ines Linke. “The cultivated algae always get pure water, and the salt content is still high enough.”
The idea of unusual skin care
As early as 2001, a team of marine biologists decided to develop their own cosmetic care and health products from the marine nutrients of the laminaria algae. This is how the idea for the farm came about. “Our aquaculture should protect the natural algae stocks, which serve as an important biotope,” says Ines Linke. The team now harvests up to 800 kilos a year. The baby algae hanging on lines are first grown in the laboratory, carefully tended and cared for like “premature babies” and only then released. The colder the water, the better they grow. Around the end of May the seaweeds have reached the right size. harvest time!
Natural anti-aging
That’s where “Pontilus” comes into play again, especially his lifting crane. It lifts the young algae, which can be up to a meter long, out of the water. Then they are carefully picked by hand, carefully stored in baskets and taken ashore for further processing. Anyone who touches them is amazed to find out: they don’t smell at all! They smell like fresh sea water and the surface of the laminaria is shiny and clean. Ines Linke explains it like this: “Algae clean themselves, everything slides off their protective layer.” An extract from this forms the basis of the “Oceanwell” natural cosmetics care line. The marine biologist is currently experimenting with jellyfish: 98 percent water, the rest pure collagen – together with algae extract, the perfect anti-aging team for our skin.
