:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/amandamitchell-80897ca559b64258acfe6a5ea0fac850.png)
As a beauty writer, it’s not uncommon for me to hear constantly about new trends, new ingredients, things that are just begging to be called The Next Big Thing. While I love searching for “game-changers” when it comes to my beauty routine, I am proudly also a skeptic when it comes to breaking down the how and why of it all. When my regular juice place started putting out teal blue smoothies, and I saw major brands like Vital Proteins and Juice Generation doing the same thing, that’s when I learned about spirulina.
Spirulina is a microalgae superfood that is packed with nutrients like protein, iron, amino acids, fatty acids, and various vitamins.1 It contains a wide range of nutrients including zinc, B vitamins, vitamin E, various antioxidants, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids, and chlorophyll, and is also full of antioxidants and high in protein, so it’s good for your insides and outside. Spirulina can be found in supplement and powder form as well in skin and hair care products, which intrigued me. How can spirulina be good for your hair? I asked a few experts to get to the bottom of the sea (that’s an algae joke).
Benefits of Spirulina for Hair
- Promotes hair growth: Spirulina is made up of 70% protein, fatty acids, and iron,2 all nutrients needed to promote hair growth.
- Treats hair loss/facilitates hair renewal: Oxidative stress, or an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in your body, can lead to aging. 3Spirulina is full of antioxidants, which help to counteract oxidative stress as well as keep your blood sugar levels regular, which can help those experiencing hair loss.
- Fights dandruff: Due to antimicrobial properties as well as the presence of zinc content, spirulina is great at fighting dandruff.
- Moisturizes and hydrates the scalp: The hygroscopic molecules in microalgae take water particles from the environment and deliver them to the scalp and skin.