As I was browsing articles and reading up on superfoods, I couldn't help but wonder--why is skin care so often overlooked? Every new superfood touts crazy benefits for cholesterol, weight management, even blood pressure, but not many truly aid skin health. I'm all for the internals--however healthy skin goes quite a long way. It's the first thing people notice, the first thing you see when you look in the mirror--it's no accident healthy skin is linked to increased self confidence. I don't know about you, but I sure can benefit from any confidence boost I get.

Hence the reason I was so passionate to share this information with you. As I did the research on Sea Moss, I literally got excited in my seat. This wealth of information further convinced me how great Sea Moss truly is. I'm already a huge advocate for algae, but its skin benefits sealed the deal. Okay, enough about me, let's get into the good stuff!

How Sea Moss Benefits the Skin

As noted earlier, I came across some amazing research--first Sea Moss contains high concentrations of Citrulline-arginine. This stable dipeptide releases the amino acids Arginine and Citrulline--packed with nitrogen, they spur collagen and protein synthesis. This aids wound healing, protects the skin and may even help slow the aging process. 

Further more, Sea Moss also comprises Mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs). MAAs are a family of secondary metabolites whose production is directly correlated to Sunlight exposure.

You're probably wondering....what's so great about MAAs?

MAAs protect against direct sunlight! I'm sure most of us know, excess exposure to the sun's powerful rays speed the aging process, promote dark circles and can even lead to the abnormal growth of skin cells.  

Here's the plot twist..pharmaceutical companies have known about this for ages! MAAs are actually extracted from Sea Moss and incorporated into many cosmetic products--specifically UV blocking ones.

Thousands of tons of Sea Moss are harvested each year, processed, and fused into countless skin care products. We all know processing destroys many of the best parts of any natural organism, my question to you--why not go directly to the source? 🤔

 References

Watson, R. R. (2017). Nutrition and functional foods for healthy aging. London, United Kingdom: Academic Press. doi: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/chondrus-crispus

Pereira, L. (18AD, November 22). PDF. Coimbra. doi:

https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9284/5/4/68/pdf