Anti-ultraviolet effects of astaxanthin derived from Haematococcus pluvialis microalgae on the skin, hair, and nails of Japanese people: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group comparative study

Haematococcus algae-derived astaxanthin (HPA) has been shown to exhibit potent anti-ultraviolet (UV) effects due to its antioxidative properties, confirming the effectiveness of an HPA intake of 4 mg/day to 12 mg/day for 10–16 weeks. However, whether an HPA intake of <10 weeks produces a similar effect has not been determined. Thus, we evaluated the anti-UV effect of consuming 6 mg HPA per day for 8 weeks. This study included healthy Japanese individuals who were randomly assigned to either the HPA intake group or the non-HPA intake (placebo) group ( n = 22 per group). The evaluation items were minimal erythema dose (MED), skin color, transdermal water loss, skin moisture content, skin viscoelasticity, and glycation stress indicators. HPA consumption significantly increased the MED and reduced the subjective dryness of the hair, suggesting that HPA exhibits anti-UV effects on the skin and hair (UMIN000053035). • Haematococcus pluvialis -derived astaxanthin reduces skin redness caused by UV exposure • Haematococcus pluvialis -derived astaxanthin mitigates subjective hair dryness