It's long been no secret that we are exposed to pollutants and chemicals every day. Not only does our organism suffer from this, but also our skin and its appearance. This promotes inflammatory reactions and premature skin aging, among other things. In view of this, many people are already relying on spirulina and chlorella and their detoxifying effects. In this blog post, we take a closer look at these two green powerhouses and examine how they can potentially have positive effects on skin health.
Table of Contents
Spirulina and Chlorella: A Brief Introduction
Today, spirulina and chlorella are added to smoothies, shakes, teas, and bowls and have established themselves as true superfoods. Chlorella is a single-celled green algae, whereas spirulina is a multicellular cyanobacterium. Biologically speaking, it therefore belongs to bacteria and not to plants. However, due to their similar properties, they are collectively referred to as single-celled microalgae.
Microalgae have been found on our planet for several billion years. Accordingly, their positive properties were recognized and utilized very early on. Centuries ago, various cultures such as the Aztecs, African peoples, and the former inhabitants of Japan and China used them to support health due to their high nutrient content.
Spirulina prefers salty environments and is therefore found in lakes with particularly high salt content, for example in Asia or Africa. Alternatively, both spirulina and chlorella can be cultivated in special facilities.
They are particularly popular because they are ideally suited for detoxifying the body. This is mainly due to the secondary plant compounds they contain, including chlorophyll and carotenoids. Chlorophyll is the pigment responsible for the green color of plants and algae. Secondary plant compounds are generally known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hormone-regulating effects. Due to these effects, microalgae are preferably used for detox cures. In addition, numerous skincare products are enriched with them so that the body can be strengthened both externally and internally.
Nutritional Profile: What Nutrients Do the Power Algae Offer?
The question of why these power algae are indispensable in our daily diet is quite easy to answer: The nutrients in these microalgae are extremely impressive.
In addition to high-quality proteins, they also contain vitamins A, C, and E, as well as B vitamins. But also zinc, iron, magnesium, calcium, and secondary plant compounds such as chlorophyll, carotenoids, and a lot of antioxidants. If you would like to take a closer look at the entire nutritional profile, including precise nutrient information, you can find more helpful information in the blog post Chlorella vs. Spirulina - The Differences and Benefits of the Two Microalgae.
The Effect on the Skin & What Science Says About It
First of all: Spirulina and Chlorella are known for their antioxidant properties and therefore offer protection against free radicals and oxidative stress. Free radicals can arise from harmful environmental influences such as UV radiation, stress, alcohol and tobacco consumption, and air pollution. They can cause significant long-term damage to the body. This can destroy cells and tissues, among other things.
But our skin also suffers from these pollutants, because free radicals can attack collagen and elastin fibers. As a result, the skin loses elasticity and premature skin aging can occur. In addition, oxidative stress stimulates melanin production, which contributes to the formation of age spots. Furthermore, free radicals increase the risk of inflammation. The consequence: skin irritations, acne, or irritated skin. This can sometimes be very painful for those affected.
Cosmetic research recognized these problems quite early and considered the power algae as promising active ingredients for skincare products due to their rich ingredients and antioxidant properties. For this reason, numerous creams, serums, lotions, etc. are now enriched with spirulina and chlorella to support the skin barrier and provide an even skin appearance.
To better interpret the antioxidant effect of spirulina, a study was conducted on rats. The researchers wanted to find out how spirulina affects trained rats. The rats were subjected to strength training for eight weeks and received different amounts of spirulina. The results showed that the power algae helped reduce inflammation in the body and improved protection against harmful molecules caused by training (oxidative stress). 1
These findings can be transferred to humans in that biological processes such as oxidative stress function similarly in mammals. In addition, numerous studies show that spirulina and chlorella have antioxidant effects - as does this study from 2020, which suggests that chlorella has a strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect. 2
As shown in the article 'Potential Application of Spirulina in Dermatology', numerous studies indicate that spirulina and its components have positive effects on, among other things, the proliferation of skin cells and collagen production. In addition, they have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. This provides a healthy environment for skin cells and structure and can offer anti-aging, photoprotection, and wound healing. There are compounds of cyanobacteria that also have skin-lightening properties. This is due to the inhibition of the enzyme tyrosinase. Their antibacterial effect can also have benefits for the skin - for example, with acne or herpes.
In view of these helpful properties and the extremely nutrient-rich composition, spirulina offers a variety of benefits and can improve our skin's appearance.
However, there are still some areas of application where further specific research is needed to better prove their effectiveness. 3 Overall, studies show that spirulina can further reduce muscle damage from physical oxidative stress, strengthen the immune system, and regulate inflammation in the body. 4
As we know, a strong immune defense also helps to improve skin quality, as it leads to fewer infections, better wound healing, e.g., for pimples, redness, or inflammation, and slowed skin aging, as free radicals can be reduced by the immune defense.
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Support for Detoxification Processes
Many people already use the combination of spirulina and chlorella for detox cures. The microalgae are taken either as a temporary cure or for long-term intake in the form of dietary supplements. This is due to the fact that, among other things, they can also excrete harmful heavy metals such as mercury from the body.
This is also confirmed by a study that investigated how a 90-day supplementation with chlorella in combination with amino sulfonate supplements can reduce heavy metal levels in the bodies of patients with long-term titanium dental implants and/or amalgam fillings. Overall, the intake of algae extracts and aminosulfates significantly reduced the levels of certain heavy metals such as mercury ions, silver, tin, lead, and uranium compared to baseline. 5
In a broader sense, exposure to heavy metals can also leave significant damage on the skin. Harmful and pro-inflammatory heavy metals inhibit skin regeneration, accelerate skin aging, and weaken the skin's protective barrier. You often recognize this by a change in your skin's appearance, making it look dull, sluggish, and stressed.
Conclusion
Spirulina and chlorella are considered powerhouses among superfoods for a reason and definitely impress with their contained nutrients. Both algae are ideal as dietary supplements, but also as nourishing creams, oils, and serums for external skin application, as in combination they contain almost all important minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins. So, if you want to sustainably improve your skin quality, a supplementation of these two nutrient boosters can certainly be beneficial.
Sources:
1. Brito AF, Silva AS, de Oliveira CVC, de Souza AA, Ferreira PB, de Souza ILL, da Cunha Araujo LC, da Silva Félix G, de Souza Sampaio R, Tavares RL, de Andrade Pereira R, Neto MM, da Silva BA. Spirulina platensis prevents oxidative stress and inflammation promoted by strength training in rats: dose-response relation study. Sci Rep. 2020 Apr 14;10(1):6382. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-63272-5. PMID: 32286405; PMCID: PMC7156748.
2. Bito T, Okumura E, Fujishima M, Watanabe F. Potential of Chlorella as a Dietary Supplement to Promote Human Health. Nutrients. 2020 Aug 20;12(9):2524. doi: 10.3390/nu12092524. PMID: 32825362; PMCID: PMC7551956.
3. Ikeda IK, Sydney EB, Sydney ACN. Potential application of Spirulinain dermatology. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2022 Oct;21(10):4205-4214. doi: 10.1111/jocd.14997. Epub 2022 May 10. PMID: 35427427.
4. Wu Q, Liu L, Miron A, Klímová B, Wan D, Kuča K. The antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory activities of Spirulina: an overview. Arch Toxicol. 2016 Aug;90(8):1817-40. doi: 10.1007/s00204-016-1744-5. Epub 2016 Jun 3. PMID: 27259333.
5. Merino JJ, Parmigiani-Izquierdo JM, Toledano Gasca A, Cabaña-Muñoz ME. The Long-Term Algae Extract (Chlorella and Fucus sp) and Aminosulphurate Supplementation Modulate SOD-1 Activity and Decrease Heavy Metals (Hg++, Sn) Levels in Patients with Long-Term Dental Titanium Implants and Amalgam Fillings Restorations. Antioxidants (Basel). 2019 Apr 16;8(4):101. doi: 10.3390/antiox8040101. PMID: 31014007; PMCID: PMC6523211.
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