ULVA LACTUCA EXTRACT

📋 Quick facts

Description: ULVA LACTUCA EXTRACT — mineral-rich, soothing (Sea Lettuce).

All Functions: mineral-rich, soothing (Sea Lettuce)

Quick Facts:

• Category: active

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• Ulva lactuca is a green seaweed studied for potential skincare and plant health applications
• Research shows it contains bioactive compounds like phenols, flavonoids, and glycine betaine
• Studies document antimicrobial and antioxidant properties in laboratory settings
• Most published research focuses on plant stress tolerance, not human skin
• Limited human skincare research available; evidence is primarily from plant and wound-healing studies

📊 Comedogenicity

🛡️ Safety rating

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.

🌍 Regulatory Status

💧 Skin Type Compatibility

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

📚 Research & Evidence

🔬 The Science

Ulva lactuca extract is a green algae preparation that has attracted scientific attention for its rich biochemical profile. According to Plants (Basel) 2021, the extract contains several classes of bioactive compounds including phenols, soluble sugars, glycine betaine, alkaloids, triterpenoids, steroids, saponins, and flavonoids. These compounds are thought to work through multiple mechanisms. #1: Antioxidant activity — The extract demonstrates antioxidant properties, with research showing it can reduce hydrogen peroxide concentration and modulate antioxidant enzyme activity (Plants (Basel) 2021; ScientificWorldJournal 2014; Physiol Mol Biol Plants 2025). Specifically, studies on plants found increased activity of protective enzymes like superoxide dismutase and catalase.

#2: Antimicrobial potential — Vet World 2021 reviews evidence suggesting Ulva lactuca extract has antimicrobial properties against resistant bacteria like MRSA, though this research is theoretical rather than tested on human skin, and the review notes these are ‘potential’ applications awaiting further investigation. #3: Anti-inflammatory suggestion — Vet World 2021 indicates the extract may have anti-inflammatory properties, though concrete human data is not provided in these sources. Important context: The research abstracts focus almost entirely on plant physiology (tomato, wheat, common bean, sorghum) and theoretical wound-healing applications. Only one source (Vet World 2021) discusses potential human health applications, and it is a review of possibilities rather than completed human studies.

No clinical trials on human skin are described in these sources. The antioxidant and antimicrobial claims rest primarily on plant studies and biochemical analysis, not cosmetic efficacy testing.

📄 Related Research

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

• El Boukhari MEM et al. (2021). Ulva lactuca Extract and Fractions as Seed Priming Agents Mitigate Salinity Stress in Tomato Seedlings. Plants (Basel).
• Ardita NF et al. (2021). Potential antimicrobial properties of the Ulva lactuca extract against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus-infected wounds: A review. Vet World.
• Nhhala N et al. (2025). Ulva lactuca extract as biostimulant for reducing salt stress effect in common bean crops. Physiol Mol Biol Plants.
• Ibrahim WM et al. (2014). Role of Ulva lactuca extract in alleviation of salinity stress on wheat seedlings. ScientificWorldJournal.
• Kchikich A et al. (2024). Effects of mycorrhizal symbiosis and Ulva lactuca seaweed extract on growth, carbon/nitrogen metabolism, and antioxidant response in cadmium-stressed sorghum plant. Physiol Mol Biol Plants.

🧴 Products Containing ULVA LACTUCA EXTRACT

• Sally Hansen Complete Care 7-in-1 Nail Treatment
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• Le Petit Marseillais Baume nourrissant soin marin ressourçant