Sunday, August 5, 2012

The oceans continuing life in cosmetics

The oceans continuing life in cosmetics

The ocean is considered the new cosmetic frontier, presently only 5% of the overall water surface has been explored, the experts believe that, in terms of evolution, seaweed molecules are more similar to those found in human beings than those found in plants. Fully aware of this is Biotherm which, sixty years ago, was the first to use a microorganism found in thermal springs, and specifically plankton. 

One of the latest types of seaweed to grab the attention of the experts at L'Oreal of which Biotherm is part of the group,  the biotechnology centre in Tours is Laminaria Ochroleuca, known to the population of a tiny French island in the Atlantic Ocean, the ÃŽle de Sein Island, as calcogne-melenche, which is Celtic for yellow algae, the characteristic of this algae lies in its capacity to tighten and relax in the span of a few seconds to withstand the destructive power of the waves. By replicating this process, biologists succeeded in extracting from the algae the active principle that has the ability to improve skin firmness and is the powerful ingredient of Biotherm’s body cream Firm Corrector.

La Prairie has also been much interested in the theme so much so that, timed with the launch on new products of its Advanced Marine Biology line it created, in partnership with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, the La Prairie Award aimed at safeguarding the marine environment which is of paramount importance for cosmetic science and research. The three finalists are known: one of the projects aims at building a sanctuary to help save the monk seal, a second one has educational purposes and is concerned with teaching children in Indonesia to take care of the environment while the third project is aimed at conserving the Toliara reed complex in Madagascar. The winning project will be announced during a ceremony set to take place next October in London, though the two runners-up will also receive a monetary donation towards their initiative: $ 100,000 will go to the winner, $ 20,000 to the project placing second and 10,000 to the one placing third. Among the pioneers of marine cosmetics  La Mer whose great success lies in the intuition of founder Max Huber, an aerospace physicist who was overwhelmed by the astonishing regenerating ability of the sea kelp, a type of algae found on the shores of the Atlantic which is now one of the main ingredients of Miracle Broth the foundation of all the treatments created by the American cosmetic brand.


Spirulina Maxima is instead the ingredient of choice of the six products of Erno Laszlo’s Firmarine line. Spirulina is a fresh water micro-algae that contains almost 70% proteins and boasts high concentrations of beta-carotene, B vitamins, iron and rare fat acids such as the gamma-linolenic acids. It has lifting and tightening properties and enhances skin’s natural collagen production.

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