626
R. Pangestuti et al.
treatment is one of the traditional therapy in France that helps people to cure arthritis
and rheumatism. This therapy has also been recognized by the Egyptians, the Greeks,
and the Romans, as a healing method since ancient times.
The beneficial effects of thalassotherapy treatments have been widely documented. Different treatments have different effects, including pain relief, relaxing,
detoxifying, slimming and toning, skin and tissue nourishment, and relief of skin
problems (Mourelle et al. 2017; Pereira 2018). A rather wide range of marine
macroalgae enter in the packs used in thalassotherapy, and algal powders or algal
salts are sold for use in home BAHTtherapy. Most commonly used in this area
are Porphyra, Eucheuma, Laminaria, and Undaria (Charlier and Chaineux 2009).
Based on this fact, algae have been extensively used as thalassotherapy components, however, there has been limited use of microalgae. Microalgae pigments
could be incorporated into thalassotherapy treatments due to their numerous bioactive
substances that are of interest in skin care. Recently, a research group of the Applied
Physics department at the University of Vigo, Spain, namely FA2, has described
a pilot experiment to cultivate marine microalgae, Nannochloropsis gaditana, for
application in thalassotherapy that entailed cultivating microalgae in seawater in the
Talaso Atlántico Thalassotherapy Centre (in Oia, Pontevedra, Spain). N. gaditana
is belonging to the green alga group that contained a high number of chlorophyll
A and carotenoid (Yasmine et al. 2017). Both pigments have a great potency to be
used in thalassotherapy treatments due to their beneficial effects for human skin,
such as antiaging, skin protection, and relaxing. This research subsequently led to
the development of thalassotherapy products from microalgae such as a microalgae
bath and microalgae mud (Legido et al. 2013).
25.4.7 Skin Whitening
Currently, the applications of microalgae pigments in personal care products have
gained more attention due to their beauty-enhancing effects. Besides all the functions
as mentioned above, microalgae pigment is also known as an active ingredient for
skin lightening products. Skin whitening is a very popular personal care product
for woman all around the world, particularly in Asia. This is because most of Asian
females preferred more fair skin tone, and thus skin whitening products have become
the bestselling skin care product in Asia (Kim and Pangestuti 2011; Wang et al. 1997).
Tyrosinase is a key enzyme in melanin biosynthesis that determines the coloring
of hair, skin, and eyes. The inhibition of tyrosinase has been distinguished as the
common approach to treat hyperpigmentation from melanogenesis and to achieve
skin lightening (Wang et al. 2015). UV radiation helps the formation of melanosomes
which occurs in the melanocytes of the epidermis via a series of oxidation reactions,
catalyzed by tyrosinase. Tyrosinase catalyzes the conversion of l-tyrosine to 3,4dihydroxy-l-phenylalanine (l-Dopa) and the conversion of l-Dopa to dopaquinone.
Melanin is then converted from the dopaquinone formed (Hearing and Jiménez 1987).
R. Pangestuti et al.
treatment is one of the traditional therapy in France that helps people to cure arthritis
and rheumatism. This therapy has also been recognized by the Egyptians, the Greeks,
and the Romans, as a healing method since ancient times.
The beneficial effects of thalassotherapy treatments have been widely documented. Different treatments have different effects, including pain relief, relaxing,
detoxifying, slimming and toning, skin and tissue nourishment, and relief of skin
problems (Mourelle et al. 2017; Pereira 2018). A rather wide range of marine
macroalgae enter in the packs used in thalassotherapy, and algal powders or algal
salts are sold for use in home BAHTtherapy. Most commonly used in this area
are Porphyra, Eucheuma, Laminaria, and Undaria (Charlier and Chaineux 2009).
Based on this fact, algae have been extensively used as thalassotherapy components, however, there has been limited use of microalgae. Microalgae pigments
could be incorporated into thalassotherapy treatments due to their numerous bioactive
substances that are of interest in skin care. Recently, a research group of the Applied
Physics department at the University of Vigo, Spain, namely FA2, has described
a pilot experiment to cultivate marine microalgae, Nannochloropsis gaditana, for
application in thalassotherapy that entailed cultivating microalgae in seawater in the
Talaso Atlántico Thalassotherapy Centre (in Oia, Pontevedra, Spain). N. gaditana
is belonging to the green alga group that contained a high number of chlorophyll
A and carotenoid (Yasmine et al. 2017). Both pigments have a great potency to be
used in thalassotherapy treatments due to their beneficial effects for human skin,
such as antiaging, skin protection, and relaxing. This research subsequently led to
the development of thalassotherapy products from microalgae such as a microalgae
bath and microalgae mud (Legido et al. 2013).
25.4.7 Skin Whitening
Currently, the applications of microalgae pigments in personal care products have
gained more attention due to their beauty-enhancing effects. Besides all the functions
as mentioned above, microalgae pigment is also known as an active ingredient for
skin lightening products. Skin whitening is a very popular personal care product
for woman all around the world, particularly in Asia. This is because most of Asian
females preferred more fair skin tone, and thus skin whitening products have become
the bestselling skin care product in Asia (Kim and Pangestuti 2011; Wang et al. 1997).
Tyrosinase is a key enzyme in melanin biosynthesis that determines the coloring
of hair, skin, and eyes. The inhibition of tyrosinase has been distinguished as the
common approach to treat hyperpigmentation from melanogenesis and to achieve
skin lightening (Wang et al. 2015). UV radiation helps the formation of melanosomes
which occurs in the melanocytes of the epidermis via a series of oxidation reactions,
catalyzed by tyrosinase. Tyrosinase catalyzes the conversion of l-tyrosine to 3,4dihydroxy-l-phenylalanine (l-Dopa) and the conversion of l-Dopa to dopaquinone.
Melanin is then converted from the dopaquinone formed (Hearing and Jiménez 1987).