With age comes diminished collagen production; marine extracts may help reverse this loss by stimulating its synthesis to restore firmness and elasticity to the skin.
Patrick Breeding and Amber Boutiette, two University of Maine biomedical engineering graduate students, co-founded Marin Skincare to alleviate eczema, psoriasis, and dry skin using lobster byproduct as its vital ingredient. Their success earned them a $14,000 grant through the Buoy Maine pitch competition.
Marine Glycoproteins
Maine company Lobstacare is taking lobster to the skin care game with a one-of-a-kind cream made from lobster glycoproteins to combat debilitating eczema. Co-founders include University of Maine graduates and biomedical engineering undergraduate students who first met on their very first day as freshman-year undergraduate students in 2013. After talking on a bench outside their engineering department offices while waiting to work out schedule details, they continued chatting over time, staying in contact throughout their academic careers.
Marin is an intensely hydrating face and body cream made with lobster glycoproteins for added hydration, designed to treat various skin conditions, including eczema, psoriasis, and dry skin conditions. Furthermore, this product includes hyaluronic acid and squalane for additional hydration benefits.
Glycoproteins are small molecules composed of a protein core surrounded by sugar molecules. Studies have revealed their ability to lock moisture, deliver oxygen, promote strength, and support elasticity within skin tissues while protecting its barrier function and decreasing inflammation.
University of Maine researchers recently conducted a study demonstrating how marine glycoproteins can help soothe itchy, irritated skin while locking in moisture. Their results were published in the Advanced Biological Materials journal.
Glycoproteins can be found in various marine organisms, including sea urchins. Scientists have researched these proteins’ adhesive properties and hope their findings could lead to new applications for human skin care products. They hope that their study will stimulate further investigation of these proteins.
The University of Maine team has successfully spun off Dermarus from Lobster Unlimited, its existing waste recycling business. Dermarus launched its inaugural products based on glycoproteins tested to hydrate the skin effectively while protecting it. They’ve been found to possess antiviral and cancer-fighting properties as well.
Luke’s Lobster and Cape Seafood have joined forces with Luke’s Skincare Labs to collect ethically and sustainably harvest lobster glycoproteins in their skincare line. Furthermore, they are creating another product using this same ingredient that targets wider audiences, expected to launch sometime this fall.
Emollients
Emollients relieve dry, irritated skin by filling spaces between dead cells, which helps stop cracking or eczema outbreaks. There are various kinds of emollients on the market, such as shea butter, coconut oil, and squalane, which all work similarly – whether natural or synthetically derived – and should always be applied when the top layer of skin is moist, such as after showering or washing your hands to ensure absorption by your body instead of being rubbed away or being rubbed away by other people!
There are three primary types of emollients, namely lotions, creams, and ointments. Lotions have the thinnest consistency of all these options, typically consisting of mostly water with some oil added for moisture retention throughout the day. They’re best for people with normal to oily skin who require just a light touch of moisture throughout the day; creams offer more even distribution across skin layers without leaving an oily residue behind.
Ointments have the thickest consistency of all skin care treatments. They are especially recommended for people suffering from extremely dry or irritated skin conditions, bra strap chafing, tight clothing friction, or following specific body treatments such as Fraxel or Microneedling that leave open wounds vulnerable to infection.
Marin Skin Care’s Soothing Hydration Cream contains an exclusive combination of skin-softening emollients such as shea and cocoa butter, caprylic/capric triglycerides, and squalane to hydrate skin and keep it supple and soft. Marine glycoproteins sourced sustainably and ethically from lobster provide additional softening and soothing for skin conditions such as eczema that cause dehydrated, itchy patches. This makes this treatment especially helpful. Marin Skin Care products feature emollients to make application easy – rub the product over your hands like soap, and pat them dry (don’t rub) using a cloth or paper towel afterward. Doing this regularly can help maintain soft, supple hands; alternatively, it may replace hand soap if germs are an issue or be used when the skin feels itchy and dry.
Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid has become one of the superstars of skincare hydration. This polymer can hold up to 1000x its weight in water molecules! This helps plump and fill out skin to give a fuller, younger-looking appearance while improving fine lines and wrinkles by absorbing excess fluid from these areas; furthermore, it can assist with under-eye bags and tightening loose skin.
Hydration is particularly essential for those with oily or acne-prone skin, as it helps balance out moisture production in their bodies. Without enough hydration, oily skin can overcompensate by overproducing oil, which clogs pores and leads to breakouts; with proper hydration levels, however, only enough oil will be produced for healthy moisture balance in your skin, and no overproduction will occur – thus keeping pores clearer while staying moisturized!
Marin Skincare offers an extensive range of hyaluronic acid-infused serums and creams from The Ordinary’s Marine Hyaluronic, one of our favorites being its featherlight serum that doesn’t add extra texture or weight to the skin, making it the ideal product for oily or acne-prone skin types, leaving no trace behind or interfering with makeup application.
Marin’s Soothing Hydration Cream can also provide relief for dry skin conditions. Containing skin-softening emollients like Shea butter, caprylic/capric triglyceride, and squalane, these ingredients soften and lock in hydration to immediately relieve dryness and itchiness.
Retinol, an effective anti-aging ingredient found in this product, is well known for reducing fine lines and wrinkles while firming skin tone, stimulating collagen production, reducing scars/stretch marks by shrinking them down, and helping improve scarred or stretch-marked appearance by shrinking them down in size.
Whenever getting hyaluronic acid injections, only qualified medical professionals must administer them. Hyaluronic acid injections may have severe side effects, including pain, itching, swelling, redness, and bleeding at the injection site.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a popular fat-soluble antioxidant found in skin care products. With anti-inflammatory and anti-aging benefits that soothe irritated skin and restore a natural glow, Vitamin E also offers anti-aging protection by blocking free radical chain reactions that damage elasticity and structure while improving the moisture-binding capacity of skin cells and decreasing flakiness or itching.
Marin Skin Care’s Soothing Hydration Cream contains an effective combination of skin-softening emollients such as shea butter, caprylic/capric triglyceride, and coconut oil to soften and lock in moisture for soft, supple skin that feels amazing! Additionally, its non-irritating formula makes this an excellent option for sensitive skin types that can be used on the face and body.
Marine Glycoproteins derived from lobster help soothe dry, irritated patches of skin while locking in moisture – making this an effective product for skin prone to Eczema, Psoriasis, or Dermatitis.
Glycoproteins contain amino acids that form the foundation for solid cell membranes and youthful complexions. Hyaluronic acid can help increase skin hydration by 30%; furthermore, glycoproteins help keep skin supple by reducing inflammation to make it more elastic and flexible.
Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects the skin against free radical damage, found naturally in most plants and animals and often taken in supplement form as alpha-tocopherol. Naturally produced vitamin E in the skin produces eight different isomeric forms known as all-rac-alpha-tocopherol or dl-alpha-tocopherol for safe consumption by our bodies.
Vitamin E can rapidly degrade when exposed to light and air, so store your skincare products in a cool, dark place for best results. Apply the cream onto clean skin regularly for best results – mixing in other beneficial ingredients like Vitamin C or Hyaluronic acid may increase benefits even further.
