The ingredient, explained

Astaxanthin

Selected evidence concerns human oral trial.

AntioxidantSkin conditioning

Explore connections

Ingredient guide

What it is and what it does

3‚3'-Dihydroxy-beta,beta-carotene-4‚4'-dione

About this ingredient: EU CosIng ingredient registry (via Open Beauty Facts taxonomy) ↗

Antioxidant: Limits oxidation, including deterioration of formulation ingredients. This label alone does not show a clinical antioxidant effect in skin.
Skin conditioning: A broad cosmetic role for maintaining skin condition. It does not identify a particular clinical benefit.

Function definitions: European Commission ingredient function definitions (SCCNFP/0299/00, pages 16 to 20) ↗

Registry functions describe possible formulation roles, not results for a finished product. A dictionary entry is not an approval or a safety assessment.

A closer look

What the research shows

Human oral research

The astaxanthin group had higher minimal erythema dose and less moisture loss in UV-irradiated skin than placebo.

What this does not tell us

Twenty-three healthy Japanese participants; oral supplement with experimental UV challenge. Not evidence for topical astaxanthin, sunscreen substitution or a particular skincare product.

Sources for this summary. PubMed 29941810 ↗

Research review checked Oct 1, 2026

Bounded review of 10 local candidate titles, selected relevant local abstracts, and targeted primary-source web searches. Not an exhaustive systematic review.