Astaxanthin may have health benefits for other purposes, however, it is not a protective, preventative, or mitigating substance for skin protection against UV radiation exposure such as from sun exposure or tanning devices.
Ultraviolet (known as UV - contains UVA, UVB, and UVC) radiation is a Group 1 carcinogen proven to cause malignant melanoma cancer of the skin and eye, non-melanoma skin cancer, cancer of the lip, degenerative changes in the cells, fibrous tissue and blood vessels of the skin, and a cause of the development of age-related macular degeneration, pterygium, and cataracts, with further evidence supporting that UV exposure reduces immune system effectiveness. Up to 90 % of visible changes commonly attributed to aging are caused by sun UV exposure. The body will repair some UV-induced damage, however, most damage is cumulative and never goes away.
UVC is absorbed by the atmosphere and doesn't reach earth's surface. Biologically damaging UVA and UVB reaches earth's surface, UVA is the most intense UV radiation. UVA damage is deeper in skin and associated more with "tanning", UVB damage is more shallow in skin and associated more with "sunburn" and skin reddening from UV exposure. Both UVA and UVB cause direct skin damage consisting of DNA damage, cell damage, cell mutations, and cause or lead to the diseases outlined here.
The UV radiation sources commonly encountered are tanning devices (tanning beds, lamps, etc...) and sun exposure.
A tan is skin mitigating response to UV-induced direct skin damage after damage has occured. Skin darkens in an imperfect mitigating attempt to prevent further damage in addition to that already caused by UV by the time skin darkens. There are two different mechanisms involved in tanning. First, UVA radiation creates oxidative stress causing existing melanin to oxidize and darken, the skin's first mitigating attempt response. Second, there is increased melanin production, the skin's second mitigating attempt response. For the skins first protective attempt, astaxanthin antioxidation effect inhibits rapid oxidation of melanin. For the skins second protective attempt, astaxanthin reduces and hinders melanin concentration (which is what gives astaxanthin the effect of reducing visibility of freckles and other skin discolorations cause by melanin concentrations) and hinders or prevents further necessary oxidation of melanin which must oxidize to have any mitigating effect against further damage.
Astaxanthin will delay skin reddening, a major warning sign of occuring UV-induced direct skin damage. Skin reddening results from skin DNA excitation by UVB radiation, which triggers skin defense mechanisms including DNA repair and increased melanin production to prevent further damage (see tan response above). Melanin then transforms UV-photons into harmless amounts of heat without generating free radicals. Astaxanthin delays skin reddening warning sign apperance and skin defense mechanisms, while doing so it allows more damage not only from UVB but also more UVA damage deeper in the skin.
Nothing prevents or mitigates (except the known measures of protection or mitigation outlined further below) the initial damage that triggers skin mitigating measure response. Melanin is the skins only protection against further UV-induced direct damage, astaxanthin effects defeats its rapid response purpose and function. The skins only warning sign of damaging exposure actually occuring at the time is "skin rededening". Astaxanthin in effect defeats warning signs and mitigating skin defense, mechanism response, purpose, and function, leaving you vulnerable to harmful UV radiation.
Sun UV exposure is the leading cause of melanoma, however, indoor UV tanners are 74 % more likely to develop melanoma than those who have never tanned indoors. Frequent tanners using new high-pressure sunlamps receive as much as 12 times the annual UVA dose as they receive from sun exposure. Ten minutes in a tanning bed has cancer-causing effects of 10 minutes in the Mediterranean summer sun (one of the highest sun UV level areas in the world). Exposure to sun UV in any non-summer season puts you at the same risk as exposure during summer.
Companies often tout misleading, deceptive, false, and illegal claims or suggestion that astaxanthin reduces, removes, prevents, minimizes, need for, or acts as, a sunblock/sunscreen; or stops, repairs, reverses, reduces, removes, prevents, mitigates, or provides long term protection from UVA/UVB irradiation or environmental damage to the skin or eyes; or allows longer UVA/UVB irradiation exposure time without damage; or prevents, treats, cures, or mitigates UV-induced melanoma or degenerative changes or damage to skin or eyes. These claims, or similar, are false, do not believe them. Astaxanthin does not have the capability or ability of these claims. If you have used astaxanthin for that indicated by these claims you were not and are not protected against harmful UV radiation and its recommended you see a qualified physician for a melanoma and damage screening. There is no known safe level of unprotected UV exposure.
The known measures of protection or mitigation against UV radiation are: Very liberal application and frequent re-application to exposed skin of SPF 30+ broad-spectrum sunscreen with UVA and UVB protective efficacy (use SPF lip balm also), no exposure, covering exposed skin with protective clothing (including the head, e.g., wide brimmed hat), sun exposure protection is best achieved by seeking shade and wearing protective clothing rather than applying sunscreens, sunglasses (with side panels) providing 100 % UVA and UVB protection, avoiding peak UV periods (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) - there are no other protective or mitigating measures. Protection is still needed even on cloudy or overcast days because UV penetrates cloud cover. Astaxanthin is not a protective, preventive, or mitigating measure against UV-induced damage and is not a suncreen/sunblock of any type natural or otherwise.
There is no acceptable legitimate scientific evidence demonstrating causality between astaxanthin and human protection against UV radiation. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), World Health Organization (WHO), American Medical Association (AMA), American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), American Cancer Society, and all recognized health or medical organization authorities; (1) Do not recognize astaxanthin as a measure against UV radiation health threatening effects. (2) Have not accepted UV protection claims for astaxanthin that companies make or their "research" as evidence in support of such claims. (3) Have determined or recognized that UV radiation is a Group 1 carcinogen, a serious health risk, and a proven cause of malignant melanoma cancer of the skin and eye, non-melanoma skin cancer, cancer of the lip, degenerative changes in the cells, fibrous tissue and blood vessels of the skin, and a cause of the development of age-related macular degeneration, pterygium, and cataracts, with further evidence supporting that UV exposure reduces immune system effectiveness. Astaxanthin can't stop, prevent, repair, reverse, reduce, cure, treat, or mitigate these diseases and damages.
The UV radiation exposure reality is that melanoma is the most common form of cancer in the United States, and is the fastest growing cancer worldwide. Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon. Over the past 31 years, more people have had skin cancer than all other cancers combined. Although melanoma is most common in Caucasians, it can strike males and females of all ages of all races and all skin types. Every eight minutes someone in the United States will be given a melanoma diagnosis, one person dies of melanoma every 62 minutes.
If you depend on astaxanthin as a measure against UV radiation harm effects believing claims as indicated above in relation to UV radiation by companies marketing astaxanthin, you stand a good chance of becoming part of that UV radiation exposure reality.
*** Also see Skin cancer prevention
*** Also see The dangers of indoor tanning
*** Also see Skin Cancer Facts
*** UV exposure & vitamin D synthesis: See - (American Academy of Dermatology (AAD)) Don't seek the sun: Top reasons to get vitamin D from your diet - and - AAD position statement on vitamin D
*** On 25 March, 2011, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) rejected claims that astaxanthin provides skin protection from UV-induced damage (Adopted: 25 March 2011 - Published: 30 June 2011). In the EFSA scientific opinion as related to astaxanthin and the claim "Protection of the skin from UV-induced damage" where the claimed effects were “skin health” and “protects skin from UV damage and sun exposure”, the panel opinion states: "No human studies have been provided from which conclusions could be drawn for the scientific substantiation of the claim. On the basis of the data presented, the Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has not been established between the consumption of astaxanthin and protection of the skin from UV induced damage."
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