Does astaxanthin help protect your skin from the sun?

Astaxanthin (3-6 mg per day) offers some protection against UV damage, as shown by several small, controlled studies. The studies measure, for example, less redness after UV exposure and less oxidative damage in skin cells. However, the participant numbers were small, the studies were short, and most were conducted in healthy Japanese women. Moreover, much of this research has been funded by commercial parties, which may skew the results in a positive direction.

In cell studies using human skin cells, astaxanthin protected significantly better against UVA damage than other carotenoids such as beta-carotene. It inhibited cell death, free radicals, and membrane damage. These are, however, laboratory results, not evidence of an effect in living humans.

Carotenoids as a broader group, of which astaxanthin is one, show some reduction in sunburn and UVA pigmentation across several clinical studies. But those findings cannot simply be applied in full to astaxanthin alone: they concern the group as a whole.

At least as important to know: there is no evidence whatsoever that astaxanthin or any other carotenoid prevents skin cancer in humans. The only supplement for which this has been demonstrated in clinical trials is nicotinamide. This means that astaxanthin should not be regarded as a replacement for sunscreen or skin cancer prevention.

In the area of skin quality, such as fewer wrinkles, greater moisture, and improved texture, controlled studies also report mild improvements. The safety of astaxanthin has not been a concern in short-term studies, but whether it is also safe with long-term use is unknown, simply because the studies were too short to establish this.