Summer asks a lot of your skin; sun, heat, hydration challenges and humidity are harder on your skin than they feel, because behind the scenes they ramp up oxidative stress, speed up collagen breakdown, and stir up inflammation at the cellular level.
Most skincare works on the surface, but the key is to work underneath it, where that damage actually starts. That’s where Astaxanthin comes in.
So what is astaxanthin?
Astaxanthin is the red-pink pigment that gives salmon, trout, shrimp, and krill their colour. Contrary to what most people believe, they don't make it themselves; it comes from a microalgae called Haematococcus pluvialis, which produces astaxanthin as a way of protecting itself from UV light and stress. That same protective mechanism carries over to us when we eat it.
Whilst it's commonly found in wild salmon and shellfish, you would struggle to eat your way to a useful dose. Skin studies use dosages that would equate to more than a week’s worth of seafood would realistically give you, which is why it is so popular as a food supplement.
What it does for your skin
Taken orally, astaxanthin may help your skin handle UV exposure, hold on to moisture, and stay elastic: a meta-analysis of human trials found it significantly improved skin moisture and elasticity [3]. It also supports the elasticity side by calming MMP-1, the enzyme that breaks collagen down after time in the sun [1, 4]. And in a placebo-controlled trial, it raised the amount of UV skin could take before it started to redden [2].
Whilst no food or supplement is a replacement for SPF, what we ingest acts as a second line of defence - working beneath your sunscreen – to support your skin, cellular integrity, and inflammatory balance.
Other Skin Heroes
Astaxanthin, found in Skin Clinic, is in good company. The rest of the formula around the three things skin needs most in summer: structure, hydration, and antioxidant support.
For structure and renewal. Vitamin A keeps skin cells turning over, whilst zinc supports collagen formation and the maintenance of normal skin. Centella asiatica, a prized Ayurvedic botanical, is studied for its role in collagen and skin repair. Biotin and iodine round things out, both helping to maintain normal skin function.
For hydration. Hyaluronic acid is a brilliant water-binder, helping skin hold on to the moisture that heat and sun draw out. It pairs naturally with what astaxanthin does for water loss.
For antioxidant support. CoQ10 is an antioxidant your body makes less of as you age, and it helps shield skin cells from the free radicals UV creates. Grapeseed extract brings proanthocyanidins, plant antioxidants that back up the same defence.
Together, they cover the structure, hydration, and antioxidant demands your skin faces over summer, all from within.
References
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Tominaga K, Hongo N, Fujishita M, Takahashi Y, Adachi Y. Protective effects of astaxanthin on skin deterioration. Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition. 2017;61(1):33–39. (16-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 65 women, 6 mg or 12 mg/day; in vitro suppression of UVB-induced MMP-1 secretion by fibroblasts.)
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Ito N, Seki S, Ueda F. The protective role of astaxanthin for UV-induced skin deterioration in healthy people: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Nutrients. 2018;10(7):817. (4 mg/day for 9 weeks raised the minimal erythema dose and reduced UV-induced moisture loss.)
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Zhou X, Cao Q, Orfila C, Zhao J, Zhang L. Systematic review and meta-analysis on the effects of astaxanthin on human skin ageing. Nutrients. 2021;13(9):2917. (Significant improvements in moisture content and elasticity; no significant effect on wrinkle depth.)
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Yoon HS, Cho HH, Cho S, Lee SR, Shin MH, Chung JH. Supplementing with dietary astaxanthin combined with collagen hydrolysate improves facial elasticity and decreases matrix metalloproteinase-1 and -12 expression: a comparative study with placebo. Journal of Medicinal Food. 2014;17(7):810–816.
