Shrimp Waste Bioactives: Eco-Friendly Cosmeceuticals for Skin, Hair, and Nail Health
Discover the benefits of eco-friendly cosmeceuticals made from shrimp waste bioactives. From reducing wrinkles and improving skin hydration to strengthening hair fibers, these natural compounds offer a wide range of health benefits.
The field of cosmetology focuses on improving, protecting, or maintaining the external parts of the human body, such as skin, hair, and nails, with the use of cosmetic products. However, cosmeceuticals are a class of products that contain biologically active ingredients proven to improve health in addition to the original cosmetic formulation. Bioactive compounds from natural sources have been extensively studied, with marine resources receiving increasing attention due to their rich potential.
Shrimp waste is an abundant and inexpensive source of bioactive compounds, such as proteins, carotenoids, chitin, polyunsaturated fatty acids, phenolic compounds, and minerals like calcium and phosphorus. Astaxanthin, chitin, and chitosan are some of the most promising bioactives from shrimp waste with potential applications in the cosmetic industry.
Astaxanthin has been shown to reduce wrinkles and expression lines, protect the skin from photodamage, increase hydration and moisturization, and aid in combatting skin diseases like melasma and psoriasis. Chitin and chitosan, on the other hand, can strengthen hair fibers, soften, cleanse, prevent stains, hydrate, moisturize, and protect the skin from UV damage, and have even been recognized as adjuvants in the treatment of alopecia and acne.
Currently, astaxanthin, chitin, and chitosan can be obtained by chemical synthesis or from natural sources like microalgae and shrimp waste, and are used in a variety of products, including creams, lipsticks, shampoos, rinses, hair tonics, and food supplements. Shrimp waste bioactives have immense potential in the formulation of cosmetic products as antioxidants, antimicrobials, anti-aging agents, skin protectants, targeted delivery vehicles, and emulsifiers.
Full Citation: Prensa y Colaboradores, Oficina de. “Cosmecéuticos Ecológicos a Partir De Bioactivos De Desechos De Camarón - Centro De Investigación En Alimentación Y Desarrollo (CIAD).” Centro De Investigación En Alimentación Y Desarrollo (CIAD), 8 Dec. 2022, www.ciad.mx/cosmeceuticos-ecologicos-a-partir-de-bioactivos-de-desechos-de-camaron.
