On pristine mountaintops and polar ice caps located around the world are patches of “watermelon snow” that gives off the light sweet scent of fresh watermelon. Snow that is bright green in the spring and turns red or pink other times of the year.
The technical term for this botanical phenomenon is Chlamydomonas Nivalis and is being hailed as one of the most effective ingredients for natural anti-aging treatment.
A single-celled, fresh-water algae that loves the cold and thrives in freezing temperatures just below the surface of the snow. It is harvested at the pink stage and ground into a fine powder.
These trillions of algae are part of a complex food chain that sustains many levels of animals in some of the world’s harshest climates.
Natural Protection from the Sun
The algae contain red carotenoid pigment and particularly thick cell walls that protect them from the sun’s ultraviolet rays – made more intense when reflected off the snow. They are so resilient that scientists have been researching their use in cosmetics and as anti-aging treatment.
The human skin is under constant attack from wind, ultraviolet rays, environmental pollution and extreme fluctuations in 
temperature. The algae survive these conditions and remain robust. It makes sense that the same resiliency could be transferred to skin.
The Science of Skin Care
Truly effective anti-aging treatment focus on more than just the surface of the skin. It is important to not only prevent future skin cell damage but to reverse damage that has already been done.
Intrinsic skin aging is the method that our skin ages from the inside out and is determined by the amount of collagen we produce. As you age, your body makes less of this important protein which is responsible for flexibility and elasticity. It is the component that keeps skin young and supple.
Cornelia Schurch-Stutz and her research team submitted data from their patent application which found that application of red snow algae neutralized intrinsic aging and preserved skin collagen.
Extrinsic skin aging is determined by factors outside the body. Some of them – such as diet and smoking – are under your control. Other factors – such as temperature, ultraviolet exposure and wind – are out of your control.
Half of the participants in Schurch-Stutz’ trials were treated with a placebo cream containing no snow algae. The other half was treated with face cream containing 3% red snow algae. Subjects were then exposed to a week of extreme cold, wind and snow-reflected sun while skiing.
Those treated with red snow algae cream experienced a measurable reduction of their lines and wrinkles under high-resolution photography. They also had 12% less skin dehydration – known as transepidermal water loss.
In fact, those using red snow algae had an appearance with 25% less wrinkles in two weeks of use. Applications in scar repair, cosmetics and natural anti-aging treatments are being developed and experts are hopeful that anti-cancer uses will be discovered.
Read more at Underground Health Reporter, “The Next Fountain of Youth: Anti-Aging Secrets of Red Snow Algae”.
