Never heard of astaxanthin? Prepare to be amazed: Astaxanthin is a major antioxidant that can help soothe skin, enhance moisture retention, and combat signs of aging. Learn more about the seven most astonishing astaxanthin skin benefits and how this superstar compound can help you keep a radiant, youthful complexion.
Skincare products are everywhere, with extensive promises to do wonders for your appearance. An ingredient that might have escaped your attention is astaxanthin. This powerful antioxidant is on the scene with immense potential to boost your skin health to another level. Read on to learn more about the astonishing astaxanthin skin benefits you may not have known.
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Boost Your Beauty with the 7 Most Astonishing Astaxanthin Skin Benefits is an original (Skin&BeautyJournal) article.
The skincare market at a glance
In 2022, the skincare industry was valued at just over $131 billion and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3% by 2027. Despite an abundance of options, many ingredients fail to deliver substantial results. Finding a science-backed ingredient, like astaxanthin, is crucial when choosing an effective skincare product.
Astaxanthin is a naturally occurring carotenoid found in marine organisms such as algae, salmon, and krill. In addition to its vibrant red color, astaxanthin contains powerful antioxidant compounds associated with numerous benefits when it comes to eye and cardiovascular health. Still, an often overlooked advantage of this powerhouse antioxidant is its potential skin benefits. Keep reading for a list of seven science-backed ways that astaxanthin can benefit your skin – they might surprise you.
Astaxanthin skin benefits:
1. Provides antioxidant support
Astaxanthin demonstrates remarkable antioxidant benefits for the skin, helping to oppose oxidative damage, preserve skin integrity, and promote a healthier, more resilient complexion. As a carotenoid pigment, it possesses conjugated double bonds and an oxygenated structure, enabling it to help scavenge free radicals effectively. Astaxanthin’s ability to span the cell membrane bilayer helps maintain the integrity of the skin’s outer and inner layers, offering comprehensive antioxidant support. Additionally, astaxanthin supports optimal immune signaling in response to oxidative stress, further enhancing its antioxidant potency for maintaining skin health.
Astaxanthin skin benefits:
2. Supports immune defenses
One benefit of astaxanthin for the skin includes its ability to support optimal immune defenses within the skin. By fostering healthy immune pathways and mediators, astaxanthin can helps maintain calm, comfortable, and balanced skin.
Astaxanthin skin benefits:
3. Promotes skin moisture retention
Astaxanthin may help retain skin moisture levels by promoting the production of natural moisturizing factors within the skin, such as ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and filaggrin. These substances help the skin retain water, promoting hydration and moisture retention. Furthermore, astaxanthin encourages the healthy expression of aquaporins, specialized proteins that facilitate water transportation across cell membranes. A 2020 study revealed that astaxanthin may increase the presence of aquaporins and encourages water movement into skin cells, supporting overall hydration. Astaxanthin skin benefits also include helping maintain the skin’s natural lipid barrier, sustaining transepidermal water levels, and thus promoting moisture retention.
Astaxanthin skin benefits:
4. Holds anti-aging qualities
Anti-aging qualities are one attribute of astaxanthin skin benefits. Its potent antioxidant and immune-supporting properties work synergistically to discourage the familiar signs of skin aging. Astaxanthin’s antioxidant activity helps oppose free radicals and oxidative damage to cellular components like lipids, proteins, and DNA. By helping your skin cells fight oxidative stress, astaxanthin may enhance youthful skin elasticity and tone. A 2001 study had 45 healthy females use skincare products with astaxanthin, and after two weeks, observed a reduction in uneven skin and puffiness under their eyes and cheeks. Additionally, astaxanthin’s immune-balancing properties promote collagen integrity and function for lasting skin resilience.
Astaxanthin skin benefits:
5. Offers natural sun support
While astaxanthin is not a substitute for sunscreen, its antioxidant power may support your skin’s natural defense against solar radiation. Astaxanthin’s ability to absorb visible light may help discourage the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the skin,which are associated with oxidative stress and DNA damage. Astaxanthin’s potent antioxidant properties also help neutralize these harmful ROS, offering extra support for DNA integrity. In addition, astaxanthin’s immune-supporting benefits can help optimize the skin’s natural repair mechanisms after sun exposure.
Astaxanthin skin benefits:
6. Helps maintain skin elasticity
Astaxanthin can help maintain skin elasticity by encouraging the integrity of collagen and elastic fibres. Astaxanthin may support collagen synthesis by stimulating the production of collagen types I and III in skin fibroblasts. Healthy collagen production helps maintain the skin’s structural integrity and elasticity. A recent study showed that when astaxanthin was combined with collagen hydrolysate over 12 weeks, elasticity and barrier integrity in human skin improved. Moreover, astaxanthin may discourage the activity of matrix metalloproteinases enzymes, helping to preserve the integrity of collagen and elastic fibers and leading to lasting skin elasticity and a firmer, more resilient complexion.
Astaxanthin skin benefits:
7. Brightens your complexion
Astaxanthin skin benefits extend to supporting a bright complexion, skin tone, and radiance. Astaxanthin’s antioxidant properties help neutralize free radicals that can contribute to skin dullness and discoloration. This superstar compound helps promote a brighter and more even skin tone by fighting oxidative stress. It may also help balance the activity of tyrosinase, an enzyme involved in optimal melanin production, helping your skin maintain a more uniform complexion.
To take advantage of astaxanthin skin benefits, Pure Synergy SuperPure Astaxanthin Extract is a supplement worth trying. According to their site, the astaxanthin in this supplement is sourced from rare, red algae cultivated “in a glass, hermetically-closed, tightly monitored freshwater system to ensure no contamination from microbes, agricultural residue, and other foreign debris.” Their algae are sustainably grown using sunlight to power the freshwater system. Pure Synergy’s produce is certified organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, and vegan. In addition to astaxanthin, SuperPure Astaxanthin Extract contains sunflower lecithin, which helps with absorption.
SuperPure Astaxanthin Extract comes in a bottle of 60 capsules. Pure Synergy recommends taking one to two capsules daily, so a bottle can last 30-60 days, depending on your serving size preference. Each capsule contains 6 mg of astaxanthin and has no chemical solvents or fillers.
According to founder Mitchell May, “The special ingredients that we develop are the essential building blocks of each and every product that we make, right here at Synergy. They reflect our absolute commitment to you and our steadfast principles of purity, authenticity, sustainability, and caring. The way we do things is always 100% in keeping with what builds life, not what hurts life.”
Astaxanthin skin benefits:
Final word
Astaxanthin is a potent carotenoid with exceptional antioxidant and immune-balancing benefits, promoting optimal skin health and appearance. Wading through a crowded marketplace for the best astaxanthin supplement can be challenging. Still, with the knowledge provided here, you’ll have no problem making the best choice.
Further reading:
Nutrients Journal: Astaxanthin in Skin Health, Repair, and Disease: A Comprehensive Review
BYRDIE: Meet Astaxanthin: The Secret Antioxidant Your Skincare Routine Needs
National Library of Medicine: Astaxanthin: Sources, Extraction, Stability, Biological Activities and Its Commercial Applications—A Review
Important Note: The information contained in this article is for general informational purposes only, and should not be construed as health or medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or health condition. Before embarking on any diet, fitness regimen, or program of nutritional supplementation, it is advisable to consult your healthcare professional in order to determine its safety and probable efficacy in terms of your individual state of health.
Regarding Nutritional Supplements Or Other Non-Prescription Health Products: If any nutritional supplements or other non-prescription health products are mentioned in the foregoing article, any claims or statements made about them have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and such nutritional supplements or other health products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
