When I was in medical school, I worked part-time at a GNC to help make ends meet.
One day, a man walks in, and he literally buys every bottle of spirulina we had in stock.
“This stuff makes me look young,” he said. He had brown hair, unwrinkled skin, and a slim build.
“I’m sure,” I said politely, not sure what to say to that.
“Guess how old I am.” He seemed to enjoy this. “Guess.”
“Um,” I stammered. I’m my mother’s daughter, so I’ve been taught to take at least 10 years off of what I really think when asked this question. “I don’t know, 35?”
“HA!” he laughed, bellowing. “I’m 62.”
Now that. That blew me away. “I’ve been taking spirulina and seaweed everyday since I was 29. I’ve hardly aged since.”
Now, I’m not advocating that everyone go to their local vitamin store and buy up cases of spirulina and other seaweed-based formulas, but this has had me wondering why more people aren’t putting spirulina and seaweed in their supplements and skin care — or at least why there’s not more research on it.
Here’s what I’ve found about this Curious Case of Mr. Seaweed…
Seaweed May Prevent Skin Inflammation and Suppress Tumor Formation
As loyal FutureDerm readers know, I’m not a huge fan of animal-based studies. Nonetheless, there hasn’t been much funding to support the use of seaweed in skin care, so bear with me. The limited studies available suggest seaweed may prevent skin inflammation and tumor formation (Cancer Letters, 1999).
Seaweed May Mimic Skin’s Natural Collagen
Some forms of seaweed possess a molecular makeup similar to that of collagen, which of course gives skin its elasticity and firmness. Of course, applying seaweed to your skin isn’t the same as injecting collagen into your skin, but it has some skin- and water-binding properties that might mimic collagen and help your skin to look firm.
Seaweed Improves Atopic Dermatitis
Seaweed has also been shown in peer-reviewed, independent studies to improve atopic dermatitis (Experimental Dermatology, 2009). It’s somewhat widely speculated as to why, but it may help to improve surface hydration with omega-3-rich fatty acids, by balancing surface pH, or by helping to balance bacterial species on the skin (Experimental Dermatology, 2009).
Should You Put Seaweed on Your Face?
There are differing opinions out there.
If you’re a DIY kind of girl, check out this review from XO Vain, in which she puts actual strips of nori on her face. (A brave gal, that one!)
As for me, unless it’s within a sterilized, sanitized product, absolutely not. I have sensitive skin, for one. For another, I’ve tested enough products and had enough allergies to various plant extracts and chemicals and gone on hydrocortisone enough times in one lifetime. So I personally use [easyazon_link identifier=”B00NFR14XM” locale=”US” tag=”cosmeticswiki-20″]Aveeno Positively Nourishing Purifying Body Wash[/easyazon_link], with seaweed in it, and I like it a lot. (And no, this is not a paid editorial). I put it all over in the shower, and wait about a minute before rinsing, to allow the beneficial ingredients to absorb into my skin somewhat before rinsing.
Bottom Line
I have a feeling we are going to see a lot more seaweed in skin care in the next few upcoming weeks to months. I do recommend [easyazon_link identifier=”B00NFR14XM” locale=”US” tag=”cosmeticswiki-20″]Aveeno Positively Nourishing Purifying Body Wash[/easyazon_link] with the ingredient, and I’m looking forward to doing some experiments with new skin care products that contain seaweed! (And, in the meantime, considering I’m hitting another thirtysomething birthday this weekend, I might take a clue from Mr. Seaweed and start downing a few spirulina tablets here and there, just sayin’…)