Seaweed

Below, Lydia Sarfati, a New York City-based master esthetician and pioneer in the seaweed industry since 1970 as well as Dr. Brendan Camp, MD, a double board-certified dermatologist at the Medical Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery in New York City, speak to the benefits of seaweed and how incorporating it into your routine can be just as beneficial in your beauty products as it is in your meals.

What Is Seaweed?

Seaweed is the name given to species of marine plants and algae that grow in oceans, rivers, and lakes. "Seaweed is perhaps the most beneficial and abundantly available natural ingredient for skincare on the planet," says Sarfati, who has dedicated the last 40 years of her life to researching the benefits of seaweed extracts in skincare and beauty products. She notes the composition of seaweed is what makes it such an incredible ingredient. "Seaweed is a very powerful concentration of seawater and is able to uptake minerals by absorption and active transport from seawater," she explains. "Because of these processes, some seaweeds have a dense concentration of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, proteins and lipids, which all pose benefits for the skin."

Both Camp and Sarfati agree seaweed possesses a ton of skincare benefits and healing properties, addressing everything from excess oil to fine lines and wrinkles.

• Regulates oil production: Some seaweed has shown to decrease oil production, while others have shown to decrease the bacteria involved in acne formation, making this a potential ingredient for anti-acne activity.1
• Diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles: Seaweeds like Laminaria Digitata are a potentially rich source of amino acids (like glycine) and natural antioxidants (like vitamin C), which promote collagen production to smooth lines and give the appearance of plumper, more youthful-looking skin.2
• Heals acne, rosacea, and sensitive skin: Camp says "seaweed can help soothe skin conditions associated with inflammation, like acne and rosacea." It has anti-inflammatory properties and contains natural minerals like magnesium and zinc, which have been known to help improve the appearance of redness in sensitive and hypersensitive skin. It also shields the skin from harsh environmental conditions by creating a protective barrier.3
• Brightens the skin: "Seaweed helps with brown spots by either affecting pigment production or by affecting how pigment is transported in the skin," says Camp.
• Exfoliates dead skin cells: Sarfati says that the detoxifying benefits of Corallina officinalis (a red seaweed that forms calcium carbonate) helps to gently remove dead, loose skin cells from the skin surface.
• Moisturizes the skin: "Seaweed not only contains essential fatty acids that help maintain our skin’s barrier, but it's also rich in polysaccharides such as alginic acid, which help to lock moisture into our skin," says Sarfati.

 

Side Effects of Seaweed

While there are no known negative side effects, Camp recommends spot-testing on the inside of your arm for a few days if you have sensitive skin. He also notes that like most skincare products, the benefits of using a seaweed-containing product are not always immediate, but rather sustained use over time should help address the consumer’s concern.

 

How to Use It

"The wonder of seaweed is that it targets a wide variety of skincare concerns—antioxidants are anti-aging, humectants act as skin hydrators, vitamin B complex is soothing, and so forth," says Camp. "The extracts of seaweed are popular ingredients for many beauty products like cleansers, moisturizers, anti-aging products, scrubs." Those with dry, sensitive, and acne-prone skin as well as those looking for anti-aging properties will benefit from seaweed.