Curious about what makes PhycoHealth's skincare so unique?
Our secret lies in the science of glycans—complex, coded, molecular gels that are key to skin health, immune support, and so much more.
Inspired by our customers' curiosity, we’re sharing what makes our Phyaluronic Acid, a unique seaweed glycan, truly special. Can you imagine how we felt when we realized that our unique seaweed glycan code matched that of the human skin glycan, hyaluronic acid?
Normally, plants don't have glycans that are similar to human tissue. But the purified glycan derived from our sustainably grown seaweed species showed us something new. We called it Phyaluronic Acid, and this unique molecule works both inside and out to support hydration, skin regeneration, and balance your microbiome.
Here are a few highlights for skin health:
-
Super Plumping Capacity: Phyaluronic Acid holds 2000 times its weight in water for intense hydration.
-
Skin-Hugging Molecules: Phyaluronic Acid hugs your skin closely and resists degradation from enzymes, for longer-lasting benefits.
-
Inflammation Reduction & Protection: Clinically proven to reduce inflammation, neutralise free radicals, and block enzymes that break down your own hyaluronic acid and collagen.
-
Microbiome Support: Supports the skin and gut microbiomes—the frontier of immune health and proper inflammation balance. Promoting a diverse and resilient gut microbiome is crucial for resisting pathogens, and also supports skin health from the inside out based on our clinical research.
-
Sustainability: Made from seaweed-derived glycans, more sustainable compared to animal or synthetic alternatives.
Want to dive deeper into the frontier of glycan science? Keep on reading the science below, or dive into the range to see if the there is a mermaid blend for your skin.
The Deep Dive into Glycan Science....
Glycans, the mysterious yet powerful molecules of the biological world, are finally starting to come into the spotlight. Among the key glycans found in the human body, many people are now aware of hyaluronic acid (HA) and chondroitin sulfate—two of the five key human glycans, typically only found in animals.
Glycans create our complexity
These molecules play unique roles in connecting all cells in our body, including maintaining skin structure and hydration, keeping joints flexible, and overall immune function. While we now appreciate how crucial these molecules are for health and immune system functions, there is still much to uncover about their intricate structures and mechanisms. Similar to proteins, glycans have unique molecular codes and structures—they can differ vastly in their roles based solely on their shape, size, molecular sequence and electrical charge. Just as proteins like collagen and enzymes are both made of amino acid codes, glycans are made of sugar codes in special formations.
Not just Goop?
Medicine has focused on the amazing structures and functions of protein molecules and their amino acids for a very long time, while glycans were thought to be just space-filling goo, yet nothing could be further from the truth. Glycans include some of the most complex codes of life and are essential partners of most proteins, including collagen and proteins throughout your skin and body tissue.
Interestingly, the Nobel Prize was recently awarded to researchers who unlocked new ways of designing and coding proteins for specific functions—a huge leap forward in understanding and manipulating these essential molecules. They are usually connected to a glycan and create a duo that is known as proteoglycans.
Proteins don’t work alone!
Proteoglycans have such funny names as decorin, aggrecan, versican and perlecan - but they each comprise a protein and a glycan and they are essential to each other. Missing a glycan in these proteins due to genetics is the cause of numerous diseases such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome or Muscular Dystrophy. Glycan disorders are also caused by lifestyle choices and include diseases like cardiovascular malfunction, diabetes and skin inflammation disorders, but also revealing is how some of the herbicides in agriculture can also change the connection of important proteoglycans in our nervous system.
Proteoglycans are the Matrix!
Despite decades of research and remarkable progress in protein technology, glycan functions and codes are still a big mystery. But every year there is more and more evidence for the importance of glycan codes in human health. We cannot yet fully read or predict glycan structures the way we can with proteins. In fact, whole glycans are sometimes referred to as the "mysterious dark matter" of biology. We know they have powerful roles througout our bodies, but their full structure and functions is still beyond our comprehension—much like trying to understand the hidden code in "The Matrix" movie. Unless, of course, your name is Neo!
A Phase of Discovery
Today, we are just scratching the surface of glycan codes, but have some understanding of how they work. This is why it is so exciting—and serendipitous—that our seaweed represents some of the most ancient glycans from the earliest forms of life on earth, yet they closely mimic the more modern and animal specific hyaluronic acid (HA) and chondroitin sulfate. Phyaluronic Acid is incredibly similar in glycan coding to that found in human tissue including skin, joints and the gut lining.
The PhyaluronicTM code
The similarity between hyaluronic acid and PhyaluronicTM Acid, helps to explain the stunning results we've seen in our research on gut health and skin health—two areas where glycan function is crucial. Because our seaweed species produces a glycan code that closely mimics those found in human tissues, rather than those typical in other plants and seaweeds, it actually communciates with human skin cells and supports their arrangement and function.
Now we have an exciting frontier opening up for us to explore the ways our Phyaluronic Acid can support wound healing and health. By mimicking the glycan code in human tissues, it can facilitate cell placement and alignment, triggering the production of proteins like collagen and elastin, or activating immune and gut cells to help manage inflammation.
Unlocking the Glycan Code for Health: Inside and Out
Glycans, both internally and externally, play a crucial role in health—whether it's supporting the skin or balancing the gut microbiome, these molecules work from the inside out to promote overall wellness.
At PhycoHealth, we are at the forefront of unlocking the specific glycan code of our seaweed species and it's effects on gut health and skin regeneration through clinical research. This gives us a unique edge in developing products that are not only compatible with, but can also replace less sustainable sources of similar molecules. Phyaluronic Acid means that it can effectively "speak the language" of human cells, helping to anchor them, encourage wound healing, cell regeneration, and even immune responses and collagen and elastin production. This is exactly what we are striving for—not just skincare, but skin communication and health support.
A Sustainable Future for Glycans
Unlike other sources of similar molecules, such as animal-derived hyaluronic acid or chemically synthesized alternatives, our seaweed-derived Phyaluronic Acid is a more sustainable option. Created in culitvation of our unique seaweed species, it offers a renewable, eco-friendly skincare that aligns with our mission to reverse climate and planetary impacts while delivering health benefits. Our clinical research into skincare and immune health is just the beginning—we believe that our glycan technology could revolutionise the way we think about and use these powerful molecules.
Phyaluronic Acid represents a leap into the future of natural health products—all derived from sustainably grown seaweed that not only helps your skin but helps the planet as well.
