SPIRULINA PLATENSIS EXTRACT

Description: SPIRULINA PLATENSIS EXTRACT — antioxidant, nourishing (algae).

All Functions: antioxidant, nourishing (algae)

Quick Facts:

• Category: active

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• Spirulina platensis is a blue-green microalga containing bioactive compounds like phycocyanin and carotenoids
• Research shows it may support skin cell activity and wound healing in lab studies
• It has demonstrated antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in cell models
• Studies found no genotoxic (DNA-damaging) effects in tested formulations
• One extract showed potential to reduce skin pigmentation and provide photoprotection in lab conditions

Safety tier is a starting heuristic from regulatory status and comedogenic rating, not a dermatological verdict — see our Terms for the full disclaimer. Research confidence reflects how many real cited studies back this ingredient, not the strength of their findings.

🧪 SPIRULINA PLATENSIS EXTRACT

SPIRULINA PLATENSIS EXTRACT

CAS Number: 223751-80-2

Also Known As: —

Category: active

Korean Name: 스피룰리나 플라텐시스추출물

Spirulina Platensis Extract is an extract of the Alga, Spirulina platensis, Cyanophyceae

SPIRULINA PLATENSIS EXTRACT is an active ingredient used in skincare formulations.

🌍 Regulatory Status

📊 Comedogenicity

📚 Research & Evidence

🔬 The Science

Spirulina platensis is increasingly used in skincare products because of compounds it naturally contains. Here’s what the research actually shows:

#1: Cell activity and wound healing — In one study (Pharm Biol, 2017), a spirulina extract at 0.1% concentration increased skin cell viability to 198% compared to untreated cells after 3 days. The same study found that a skin cream containing 1.125% of the crude extract showed enhanced wound healing activity on human keratinocyte cells (the main cell type in your skin’s outer layer). The research also measured collagen 1 (a structural protein in skin) and found it increased with higher extract concentrations.

#2: Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects — A more recent study (Int J Mol Sci, 2025) used a specific light-colored spirulina extract called Elixspir® and found it reduced intracellular ROS (reactive oxygen species—unstable molecules that damage cells) and modulated the cell’s natural antioxidant defense system. This same extract reduced PGE2 levels, which are involved in inflammation. #3: Skin-lightening potential — The 2025 study demonstrated that this spirulina extract inhibited tyrosinase, an enzyme involved in melanin (pigment) production, suggesting a skin-lightening effect, though this was observed in lab cell models. #4: Photoprotection — Notably, the 2025 study reported an “unprecedented photoprotective effect,” meaning the extract may help defend skin against environmental damage, though the specific mechanism wasn’t detailed in the abstract.

#5: Safety — The 2017 study performed a micronucleus assay (a test for genetic damage) and found that spirulina-incorporated creams showed no genotoxic effects on human blood cells. Important context: These are lab and cell-based studies, not human skin trials. Results in test tubes and cultured cells don’t always translate to how ingredients perform on living skin.

💧 Skin Type Compatibility

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

🧴 Products Containing SPIRULINA PLATENSIS EXTRACT

• caremare RHODOPHYTA ALOE VERA SHIELD DAY CREAM
• caremare Rodophyta Aloe Vera Balancing Face Wash
• footlogix DD Cream
• Soin home végétal
• Horace Sérum Acide Hyaluronique + Panthenol
• Dr. Wolff’s Bioniq Bioniq Repair Zahncreme
• Dr. White Biorepair
• caremare SPIRULINA MALACHIT RECHARGE HYDRA MASK
• caremare Rhodophyta Spirulina Hydrasafe Night Cream
• caremare caremare Hyaluron Rhodophyta Hydra Glow Boster Serum
• caremare ASTAXANTHIN SPIRULINA INSTANT RECOVERY EYE CREAM
• Biorepair oral care peribioma
• biorepair, L’Angelica biorepair peribioma

📄 Related Research

Matched by search — not necessarily verified support for every statement above.

• Gunes S et al. (2017). In vitro evaluation of Spirulina platensis extract incorporated skin cream with its wound healing and antioxidant activities. Pharm Biol.
• Donati C et al. (2025). Unveiling the Skin Anti-Aging Potential of the Novel Spirulina platensis Extract Elixspir(®). Int J Mol Sci.