Could algae be key to eco-friendly sunscreens?

Natural Products Factory Ltd, the company behind the Nourish London skincare brand, has partnered with Swansea University to undertake a research project exploring how to use algae to create the next generation of sunscreens.

ALG-SUN, led by the Biosciences Department at Swansea University, has been awarded funding from the Algae-UK (Proof of Concept) Scheme to undertake research with both academic and industrial partners.

The team at Swansea University will now work with Natural Products Factory along with University spin-off company Membranology to develop new sunscreen products that do not damage the natural environment and are proven to be safe to use on the skin. 

Research will focus on the effectiveness of Microalgae, which protect themselves from damaging solar ultraviolet radiation with a group of sunscreen compounds called mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs). Obtaining MMAs in sufficient quantity and purity to confirm their effectiveness on the skin and to make algal sunscreens commercially viable is a major challenge, and this project will see the partners working together to try to overcome these commercial barriers.

Commenting on the new partnership, Carole Llewellyn, Professor in Applied Aquatic Bioscience at Swansea University, says: 

“It is great that Algae-UK is funding this proof of concept research to enable us to work together with Natural Products Factory to better understand how we can take these promising natural products to market.”

Dr Pauline Hili, founder of Natural Products Factory and expert in organic skincare, explains how she first became interested in the use of algae to create sunscreens, which are among customers' more requested items, saying: 

“For a long time I had been wanting to explore more natural sunscreens and what possibilities might exist in the natural world. It struck me that surely we could find some way to make an improvement in this area. After speaking to Professor Llewellyn it became clear to me that an industry and academic collaboration would be a great way forward.

“Through this work we could provide a real game changer for the consumer who is concerned about the environmental impact of their products. It is at a very early stage but it is very exciting to be generating research that has so many possibilities.”