Ulva rigida

Ulva rigida, also known as "sea salad" is a green algae that grows on rocky coasts.

The sea salad can be eaten as an alternative to traditional lettuce, as the name suggests.

It can be used as an additive for animal feed, as it offers a variety of micro and macro nutrients^[3].

But Ulva rigida is also interesting for cosmetics. It acts as an antioxidant and thus protects the skin from free radicals^{[4, 5]}.

This product is available in the following forms: Ulva rigida powder, Ulva rigida flakes and dried Ulva rigida raw algae. This product is also available as a non-organic variant.

Typical applications in the cosmetics industry:

Green algae Ulva rigida not only has antioxidant and antibacterial effect, but also has a strong antioxidant activity^{[4, 5, 6]}. Thus, the protein-containing algae provides protection against oxidative stress.

Ulva rigida is rich in ingredients that promote collagen biosynthesis as well as provide moisturizing properties.

Sources:

1. Ulva rigida - G.M. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 27 January 2025. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. (https://www.algaebase.org/search/species/detail/?species_id=40)
2. Ulva rigida - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulva_rigida)
3. Taboada C, Millán R, Míguez I. Composition, nutritional aspects and effect on serum parameters of marine algae Ulva rigida. J Sci Food Agric. 2010 Feb;90(3):445-9. doi: 10.1002/jsfa.3836. PMID: 20355066. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20355066/)
4. Phomkaivon N, Pongponpai P, Kosawatpat P, Thongdang B, Pan-Utai W. Extraction, Characterisation and Evaluation of Antioxidant and Probiotic Growth Potential of Water-Soluble Polysaccharides from Ulva rigida Macroalgae. Foods. 2024 May 23;13(11):1630. doi: 10.3390/foods13111630. PMID: 38890859; PMCID: PMC11171798. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38890859/)
5. Mezghani S, Bourguiba I, Hfaiedh I, Amri M. Antioxidant potential of Ulva rigida extracts: protection of HeLa cells against H₂O₂ cytotoxicity. Biol Bull. 2013 Sep;225(1):1-7. doi: 10.1086/BBLv225n1p1. PMID: 24088791. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24088791/)
6. Ismail A, Ktari L, Ben Redjem Romdhane Y, Aoun B, Sadok S, Boudabous A, El Bour M. Antimicrobial Fatty Acids from Green Alga Ulva rigida (Chlorophyta). Biomed Res Int. 2018 Nov 13;2018:3069595. doi: 10.1155/2018/3069595. PMID: 30539008; PMCID: PMC6260554. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30539008/)
7. Paiva L, Lima E, Neto AI, Marcone M, Baptista J. Nutritional and Functional Bioactivity Value of Selected Azorean Macroalgae: Ulva compressa, Ulva rigida, Gelidium microdon, and Pterocladiella capillacea. J Food Sci. 2017 Jul;82(7):1757-1764. doi: 10.1111/1750-3841.13778. Epub 2017 Jun 16. PMID: 28621445. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28621445/)