Dermo-Cosmetic Benefits of Marine Macroalgae-Derived Phenolic Compounds

Marine macroalgae have an interesting profile of bioactive compounds and have gained tremendous attention in cosmeceuticals with negligible toxicity effects (cytotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, genotoxicity, mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, etc.) on humans and exhibit strong benefits for the skin. Among the diversified compounds, phenolic compounds are the group of phytochemicals found in high amounts with great structural diversity. Phlorotannin is the most studied polyphenol compound in brown algae, but besides there are some other phenolic compounds observed and studied in macroalgae such as terpenoids, bromophenols, mycosporine amino acids (MAAs), and flavonoids. These compounds are already characterized and studied for their full range of cosmeceutical benefits such as skin whitening, moisturizing, photoprotection, antiaging, antiwrinkle, anti-melanogenic, and antioxidant activities as well as in the treatment of pruritus (caused by acne, eczema, dermatitis, hives, psoriasis), photoaging, and skin pigmentation disorders (hypopigmentation due to the absence of melanocytes and hyperpigmentation caused by skin irritation or metabolic disorders). This review study mainly focuses on marine algae-derived phenolic compounds and their extraction, characterization, and skin cosmetic benefits described in the literature. The present study aims to provide a detailed insight into the phenolic compounds in marine algae.