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Internal Sunscreen for Skin: Nature’s Pigment of Life

Astaxanthin, often hailed as nature’s most potent antioxidant, is a vibrant red pigment found in various marine organisms, algae, and certain plants. Renowned for its remarkable health benefits, astaxanthin has garnered significant attention in scientific research and wellness communities alike. Its unique molecular structure grants it exceptional antioxidant properties, astaxanthin is 6,000 times more effective than vitamin C, 800 times more effective than coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), and 550 times more effective than vitamin E in neutralizing free radicals. Beyond its antioxidant prowess, astaxanthin demonstrates anti-inflammatory properties and is associated with numerous health advantages, ranging from cardiovascular support to skin protection. In this introductory exploration, we delve into the multifaceted world of astaxanthin, uncovering its origins, properties, and the burgeoning research surrounding its potential health-promoting effects.

WHAT ABOUT SUNSCREEN?

Most sunscreens contain chemicals that block UVB rays and not UVA. There are two issues here.

1. The UVB rays are what we need from sun to produce the very important vitamin D. UVA, which doesn’t stimulate vitamin D, penetrates through some sunscreens and does damage our DNA and skin with overexposure. If we were going to be overexposed to the sun, blocking the full spectrum, UVA and UVB, is necessary.

2. The chemicals used in sunscreens are toxic, some ingredients, like oxybenzone and octinoxate, can penetrate the skin and enter the bloodstream, where they can remain for days. In 2020, scientists at the FDA confirmed that this can happen and called for more testing.

Homosalate, another ingredient in some sunscreens, can impact the body’s hormone systems, particularly estrogen. In human breast cancer cells, exposure to homosalate led to 3.5 times more cell growth and multiplication. 

In extreme situations of UV exposure, it would still be the lesser of two evils to apply chemical sunscreen since sunburns are SO damaging to our DNA. Knowing that most sunscreens are toxic though, in situations of less severe UV exposure I would suggest an alternative mean/s of protection.

INTERNAL SUNSCREEN

Our bodies have the amazing ability to adapt, and in that adaptation process, our bodies will get full use of everything in our environment. All animals have this ability. Let us use the flamingo as an example. This bird stands in full sun all day and never gets a sunburn. How? It uses nature. The flamingo consumes organisms (shrimp and other crustaceans) which produce the powerful UV protecting pigment astaxanthin.  In the flamingo’s case, the pigment is stored in the feathers to protect the underlying skin.  It also travels through the blood and is stored in the skin and eyes which protects and keeps these tissues young in full daily sun exposure.

Indeed, astaxanthin is the powerful pigment that gives flamingos their beautiful color.  Astaxanthin enters the food chain thanks to the simplest organisms (certain algae, plankton and yeasts) ability to manufacture it. From there it is consumed into the food chain and every bit of this pigment is used by the fortunate creatures that find it in their diet. Aside from the microorganisms from whence it comes, astaxanthin is found in the tissues of krill, salmon, arctic shrimp, trout and other crustaceans.

ONE CAROTENOID PIGMENT TO RULE THEM ALL

Fortunately, astaxanthin is utilized just as effectively as an antioxidant in the human organism! In fact, better so than most other carotenoids like beta-carotene or lycopene. Why? First, astaxanthin is a much more powerful and complete antioxidant in our tissues than beta-carotene or lycopene because of its placement inside the cell membrane. Astaxanthin is able to neutralize destructive processes both inside and outside of the cell because of its position in the membrane. It very effectively protects all of our cells against UV damage from the sun. Even more importantly, astaxanthin is distributed into our tissues much more effectively. Astaxanthin is significantly stored in the skin, brain, eyes, muscles and organs. Lycopene and beta-carotene are stored in the skin, which is good, but they do not significantly make it into the brain tissue or the retina of the eye! Our brains do not get antioxidant benefit and our eyes are left unprotected under the stress of UV exposure.

One of my favorite things about astaxanthin is that with a high oral dosage, your skin will actually show a new healthy tint of color due to the pigment accumulation in the skin. I have read some good studies demonstrating that humans actually find this carotenoid induced skin color change as more attractive than a tan derived from sun exposure!  Add beauty pigment to the list of boxes that astaxanthin checks off.

BEST USE: ORAL AND TOPICAL

Consume as little as 2 mg per day of astaxanthin and it will begin to deposit evenly into most human tissues. This includes skin, brain, eyes, organs and muscles. This is where oral supplementation really shines. Aside from its sunscreen like UV protecting effects, astaxanthin has numerous disease preventing effects all through the body through its powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. When present in the body, over time astaxanthin will help prevent cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, regulate blood sugar, increase athletic capacity, preserve eye health and prevent wrinkles in the skin. One study showed that astaxanthin is diminished and cleared much faster in the bodies of smokers. This tells us that the astaxanthin is being used by the body to protect its cells from the oxidative and inflammatory effects of smoking, which is also supported by studies. This study (Kubo et al 2019) in particular demonstrated astaxanthin preventing smoking induced emphysema in mice. The more stress on the body, the more astaxanthin it can burn through for its protection.  This is only a brief description of what astaxanthin has been studied to benefit in the body. To summarize some of the major bodily systems being protected, here..

• Skin health- Astaxanthin can improve skin elasticity and moisture, reduce wrinkles, and protect skin from UV damage. It may also give skin a natural glow.
• Eye health- Astaxanthin may help improve dry eye symptoms by improving tear film stability, repairing protective eye layers, and improving the function of the meibomian glands.
• Immune system- Astaxanthin may help activate white blood cells (T-cells) and natural killer (NK) cells.
• Inflammation- Astaxanthin may help reduce inflammation.
• Brain health- Astaxanthin may help protect the central nervous system and may have a healing effect on brain aging.
• Cardiovascular health- Astaxanthin may be a potential therapeutic agent against atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
• Diabetes- Astaxanthin may improve glucose and serum insulin levels in diabetes by reducing oxidative stress caused by hyperglycemia in pancreatic β-cells.

Astaxanthin is truly a powerful “whole body” protector. However no supplement is magic, when getting ready for a day at the lake or something potentially higher in UV exposure, we may want extra protection on top of our oral consumption of astaxanthin. Logically, topical application on the skin has been studied to bring powerful immediate UV protection. Still I remind, if you know you are going to be exposed to enough UV that would normally induce sunburn, I recommend mainstream sunscreen AND astaxanthin. Sunburns are worse than a one time mild chemical exposure to sunscreens.

ORAL DOSAGE?

Many astaxanthin studies have shown benefit at many dosages. The lowest I would want to go for concrete health benefits is 4 milligrams. On the high end I do not believe you need much more than 15 milligrams. Keep in mind astaxanthin is non toxic and safe at even higher amounts. You could safely dose even higher than this without risking more than wasted money and red poop.

CONCLUSION

For me astaxanthin easily wins as the choice natural sunscreen. It accumulates into all of our tissues and prevents disease states. Astaxanthin is one of my top beauty nutrients and has also been studied to improve athletic performance. I have been taking 10 mg/day orally and using it as a UV protector with great benefit. I will have astaxanthin in my diet for as long as I live. It is a powerful shield against all stressors and is a pigment very close to my heart as it has stained my tissues through many tough times.

If you want to read more about how astaxanthin and other methods I discuss prevent and reverse wrinkles, check out this article.