The combination of an olive extract with the microalgae (cyanobacterium) spirulina – already known as beneficial foods for health – can form the basis for a promising natural cosmetic. A Brazilian study published in Cosmetics (D’Angelo Costa and Maia Campos, 2024) demonstrates its effectiveness in improving the stratum corneum and the luminosity of facial skin. (1)
Olive extract and spirulina microalgae, cosmetic properties
Researchers of the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, have created a cosmetic based on two natural ingredients known for their antioxidant action:
– olive extract (Olea europaea L.), which contains 20% hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol and other polyphenols, is already used as an emollient, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial. Research studies its use as a remedy to reduce hyperpigmentation caused by photo-aging (aging caused by prolonged sun exposure of skin cells)
– the Spirulina sp., a green-blue microalgae (cyanobacterium), is in turn considered a ‘superfood’ due to its high content of macro- and micronutrients. High biological value proteins (55-70%), vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. When included in the diet, it stimulates the immune system, has an important role in preventive medicine and helps to lose weight, as we have seen. (2) Applied to the skin, microalgae has proven useful in protecting the skin barrier as well as lightening solar freckles and freckles.
The study on 27 women
The cosmetic based on olive extract and spirulina microalgae, was tested in a double-blind study against placebo on 27 women aged between 39 and 60, skin phototype II and III, with signs of photoaging on the face.
The participants applied SPF 30 sunscreen to their faces during the day and the cosmetic provided by the researchers in the evening, for 12 consecutive weeks.
The result after 12 weeks
At the end of the treatment of 13 women who used a cosmetic formulation based on olive extract and Spirulina sp., for 12 weeks, the researchers observed an improvement in the structure and brightness of the skin.
The improvement of the morphological and structural characteristics of the skin is characterized by the deep hydration of the skin barrier. Two effects of the topical use of Spirulina have already emerged in previous studies (0,1% of Spirulina sp. for 28 days on mature skin).
The importance of sunscreens
The increase in brightness was also observed in the 14 participants included in the control group. According to researchers, this effect is due to the formation of a film on the skin which prevents the evaporation of transepidermal water and improves the texture of the skin.
A systematic review attributes this effect to three factors:
– the cosmetic preparation was basically made with biocompatible emollients, which favor the formation of the film on the skin surface
– Spirulina sp. contains carbohydrates in the form of polysaccharides which are considered natural polymers with a film-forming effect
– sunscreens which all the participants in the study applied daily are in turn film-forming and therefore promote hydration (or non-transepidermal evaporation).
‘The cosmetic formulation with the mix of natural antioxidants proposed (…) was found to be stable and effective for improving the conditions of skin photoaging. Furthermore, the use of sunscreens is essential to prevent damage from skin photoaging’, the researchers conclude.
Marta Strinati
Footnotes
(1) D’Angelo Costa Gabriela Maria; Patricia Maria Berardo Gonçalves Maia CamposMaia Campos. Development of Cosmetic Formulations Containing Olive Extract and Spirulina sp.: Stability and Clinical Efficacy Studies. Cosmetics 2024, 11, 68. https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics11030068
(2) Dario Dongo, Marta Strinati. Spirulina, the microalgae that nourishes, stimulates the immune system and helps you lose weight. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade).
Professional journalist since January 1995, he has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic surveys on food, she has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
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