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Copyright @ Pol J Cosmetol
Pol J Cosmetol 2016, 19(1): 36-41pl  Usefulness of Chlorophyta in cosmetologyEwa Posz, Agnieszka Pinkowska, Adam Stebel Katedra i Zakład Botaniki Farmaceutycznej i Zielarstwa, Wydział Farmaceutyczny z Oddziałem Medycyny Laboratoryjnej, Śląski Uniwersytet Medyczny w Katowicach Summary Chlorophytes (Chlorophyta) are a division of algae rich in a variety of substances beneficial to the skin and to the whole human body. They contain large amounts of plant pigments possessing antioxidant properties and for this reason are often used as components of anti-aging preparations and cosmetics for mature skin care. They are also the components which promote slimming and cellulite reduction. High contents of vitamins and macro- and microelements provide chlorophytes with nutritional value which is used not only in cosmetics but also in dietary supplements. The article presents the results of a literature review on the use of Chlorophyta species in cosmetics. The survey demonstrated that 30 taxons have been used as components of cosmetics and dietary supplements. It was observed that sometimes product ingredients were designated with either very general names, e.g. "algae", "green algae" or erroneous names, e.g. "Sahel Scenedesmus" instead of species names. Some of the used species are not indexed in the European Commission Cosmetic Ingredient Database. The species most often used in cosmetic products include: Ulva lactuca, Caulerpa lentillifera and Chlorella sp. while Botryococcus braunii, Ulva pertusa and Enteromorpha intestinalis were classified as the least often used and present in the least available cosmetic products. Key words: green algae, algae, cosmetics, cosmetology |