Fucowhite is a unique purified fucoidan-phloroglucinol complex, extracted from the brown algae Ascophyllum nodosum by lixiviation in water.
Fucoidans have diverse bioactivity. They inhibit UVB-induced MMP expression and are good inhibitors of the dermal remodeling enzymes called matrix metalloproteases. Polyphloroglucinols are the polyphenols found in brown macroalgae. They are powerful antioxidants, inhibiting a variety of free radicals.
In Ascophyllum nodosum, the association fucoidan and phloroglucinols play an important role in the protection from high UV conditions, especially in the intertidal zone. Fucowhite is not just an association of fucoidans with phloroglucinols. These 2 compounds are linked together to form a complex with a strong tyrosinase inhibition activity. The tyrosinase inhibition of Fucowhite is similar to the activity of hydroquinone, benchmark tested in the same conditions, without causing any skin irritation.