Astaxanthin

Recently, I made a short post on Facebook about astaxanthin.  However, a short post cannot begin to do justice to such an amazing natural substance.  There is a lot written about astaxanthin, but I will try to narrow things down in this blog.  Astaxanthin is a carotenoid and powerful antioxidant that occurs naturally in certain fruits and vegetables and a certain species of micro algae.  Any sea creature that has a pink or red color contains astaxanthin (salmon, shrimp, trout, other crustaceans).  Astaxanthin can be taken orally as a daily supplement or topically as a skin product (serum or moisturizer).

The reason astaxanthin is important for humans is that it has a special molecular structure that allows it to get into tissues better than other antioxidants.  It crosses the blood-brain barrier so it is an eye protectant as well as a neuro-protectant.  It has been linked (but not proven) to have beneficial effects on cognitive decline, the cardiovascular system, and the immune system.

Astaxanthin has many potential benefits for the skin.  It acts like a natural sunscreen from within.  This means it reduces risk of skin cancer, decreases wrinkles, and improves skin elasticity.  It improves moisture content.  Dr. Nicholas Perricone, a famous dermatologist and nutritionist, says that astaxanthin is fabulous for the skin and gives you a “beautiful, healthy glow”.  As a powerful antioxidant, it protects skin cells from oxidative stress that comes mostly from weather and sunlight.  When applied topically, it protects skin from UV damage which causes collagen breakdown which leads to wrinkles.  It also gives the skin a beautiful and subtle glow that people comment on.  I’m not saying you’ll look like you’ve had a facelift, but regular use of a serum containing astaxanthin as well as internal use can go a long way in keeping your skin more youthful-looking. I certainly have wrinkles due to the bad habits of youth, but I am so grateful for the years that I have known about and used astaxanthin internally and externally.  My personal experience led me to make a serum called Orange Goo Youth Serum.  The “Orange Goo” part of the name comes from the beautiful orange color of the astaxanthin.

If you decide to use astaxanthin as a supplement, be sure to use natural astaxanthin.  Synthetic astaxanthin is a petrochemical product that has a different molecular structure and may have only a fraction of the antioxidant strength of natural astaxanthin.  I only use BioAstin in my products and to take internally.  I hope you will do more research on this amazing substance and consider adding it to your routine.