Wakame
What is it?
Wakame (Undaria pinnatifida) is a species of kelp native to the northwest Pacific Ocean.
Main Benefits:
Anti-photoaging, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, collagen-increasing
More Information:
Wakame is commonly known as an edible seaweed. Seaweeds have a rich history of medicinal and therapeutic use. They are known as renewable sources of unique bioactive compounds such as fucoidan, laminarin, carrageenan, fucoxanthin, and mycosporine-like amino acids that have proven useful in the skincare and cosmetic industries. Fucoidan especially is known for it’s skin health benefits and anti-photoaging properties. Fucoidans were shown to significantly reduce intracellular reactive oxygen species levels and improve the viability of UVB-irradiated cultured cells. Low molecular weight fucoidans were found to have strong anti-inflammatory, collagen-increasing and wound healing properties.
Interestingly, another ingredient of wakame, fucoxanthin, was shown to help burn fatty tissue. Studies in mice have shown that fucoxanthin induces expression of the fat-burning protein in fat tissue around the internal organs.
Scientific reference:
Pangestuti R, Shin KH, Kim SK. Anti-Photoaging and Potential Skin Health Benefits of Seaweeds. Mar Drugs. 2021 Mar 22;19(3):172.
Koh HSA, Lu J, Zhou W. Structure characterization and antioxidant activity of fucoidan isolated from Undaria pinnatifida grown in New Zealand. Carbohydr Polym. 2019 May 15;212:178-185.
Park JH, Choi SH, Park SJ, Lee YJ, Park JH, Song PH, Cho CM, Ku SK, Song CH. Promoting Wound Healing Using Low Molecular Weight Fucoidan in a Full-Thickness Dermal Excision Rat Model. Mar Drugs. 2017 Apr 7;15(4):112.
PRODUCT FEATURING THIS INGREDIENT
