MAKING A splash

MARINE-BASED SKINCARE INGREDIENTS: NOURISH, SMOOTH, RESTORE,AND HYDRATE

BY ANNETTE BROOKS

Enhancing your skin with marine-based ingredients may seem like a recent trend, but it’s centuries-old. According to historians, a Qin Dynasty empress in China included ingredients like seaweed and jellyfish in her skincare routine, and Cleopatra, the ultimate beauty queen, used Dead Sea salts.

Today’s luxury skincare products with marine ingredients range from expensive options like La Mer moisturizing cream, a favorite among the Hollywood crowd, to those more reasonably priced. They include Spa Technologies Marine Repair Cream with seaweed extracts, SkinMedica TNS Advanced+Serum with algae- derived extracts, Blue Lagoon’s Algae Mask, OxygenCeuticals Age Defying Caviar Cream with caviar extract, and Restørsea Rejuvenating Day Cream with hydrolyzed salmon roe, to name a few.

If you’re interested in trying new products with marine-based ingredients, ask your dermatologist or aesthetician to recommend brands that will benefit your skin type. When purchasing over- the-counter products, look for marine ingredients such as those below.

SEAWEED EXTRACTS

Chock-full of amino acids, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, seaweed is used in cleansers, toners, moisturizers, serums, masks, and lip gloss. Benefits include collagen production, exfoliation, soothing inflammation, toning, and moisturizing. A brown seaweed called laminaria digitata (aka oarweed, tangleweed, or sea ribbon) helps soothe distressed skin and ease signs of aging due to sun damage. Another, fucus vesiculosus (bladderwrack), promotes anti-aging activities and improves skin elasticity and firmness.

FISH ROE ENZYMES AND EXTRACTS

Did you know that fish roe, like salmon eggs and caviar (sturgeon eggs), are not used solely for culinary purposes? With plenty of vitamins and antioxidants, caviar boasts moisturizing, nourishing, and retexturizing protective qualities, which help reverse signs of aging. The enzymes in salmon roe can correct uneven skin tone, increase elasticity, and smooth fine lines and wrinkles.

PHYTOPLANKTON EXTRACTS

Rich in vitamins, amino acids, and essential fatty acids, phytoplankton extracts stimulate skin cells to produce pro-ceramides, which help create ceramides from within. Ceramides are fats or lipids in skin cells that help maintain a healthy, protective barrier that locks in moisture.

MARINE ALGAE

According to LiveScience.com, marine algae are a diverse group of photosynthetic aquatic organisms. So, an ingredient listed as algae extract can contain almost anything from seaweed to microalgae like phytoplankton. Think of it as an overall umbrella term.

JELLYFISH

These strange sea creatures may look like something from outer space, but with regenerative properties and naturally containing collagen, jellyfish extract plays a leading role in maintaining and improving skin hydration and elasticity.

SEA SALTS AND MINERALS

The beauty benefits of sea salts are far-reaching. Primarily composed of sodium and chloride, sea salt also contains traces of magnesium, calcium, potassium, zinc, iron, gold, sodium, iodine, manganese, chloride, selenium, and bromide, which help maintain healthy skin. Although it may seem contrary to intuition or common sense, sea salt helps create a protective barrier that locks in moisture and prevents dryness.