Algae: A Potential Source for Cosmetic and Nutraceutical Formulations

Abstract

The photoautotrophic marine organisms known as macroalgae, or seaweeds, are essential to many industries, including medication, food, farming, bioenergy, and cosmetics. They use photosynthesis to get energy for their physiological processes. Rich in coastal areas all over the world, they have attracted interest as an important supplier of natural bioactive substances. The cosmeceutical industry is using more and more seaweed-derived chemicals because of the current trend towards natural alternatives and worries about the lethality of synthetic cosmetics. These substances have been found safe in human cell research and have medicinal potential. The global cosmetics market is projected for exponential growth. The growth of algae product market is driven by cosmetic industry which now focuses on cruelty free and have base of vegan cosmetics mainly due to awareness of harmful and synthetic components. According to the economic evaluation, the global cosmetics market is growing and strongly emphasizing innovation, which is fuelling the development of new products. Many nutrients and pharmacologically active natural substances are found in algae. Algae have a wealth of antioxidants that make them suitable for inclusion in human diets as food or supplements. These phytochemicals have a range of health advantages, including rejuvenation, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antifungal, and immunoregulatory effects. This review focuses on the study of application of macroalgae in the nutraceutical and cosmeceutical domain in accordance their bioactive properties, current patent advancements, and marketed formulations.