If you’re worried about UV radiation damage but you’re not willing to accept the dangers that come with sunscreen use, you might want to turn to astaxanthin supplements. A new study has confirmed that the supplement offers innate sun protection while reducing UV damage and skin aging.
The researchers in this study followed 23 healthy adults from Japan between the ages of 30 and 56 for a total of ten weeks in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study. The participants were given either 4 mg of astaxanthin per day or a placebo pill for nine weeks; an additional week of base measurements preceded the study.
The researchers analyzed UV-induced changes in the skin at the baseline and after nine weeks of treatment or a placebo, and they used a subjective visual analog scale to measure the skin’s texture and any improvement of rough skin.