Aethic, the UK skin care and sunscreen company, has been granted the exclusive worldwide license for the use of King’s College London’s active ingredient Photamin.
The ingredient is a naturally-occurring compound found in seaweed and part of the mycosporine-like amino acids family.
The university claims that the product protects skin from sun damage by absorbing the most harmful UVA and UVB rays and minimising impact.
Professor Paul Long of King’s College London said: “This compound has unique characteristics never seen before in a single naturally-occurring substance.
Aethic's sunscreen features an eco-compatible formula, proven safe for corals and clams
“What it does to protect marine organisms from the sun’s rays is now applied to skin and we believe that it does everything that a good sun filter needs to do all by itself.
“UV-induced skin damage (premature ageing) and skin cancer are rising and we believe this compound can contribute considerably to mitigating it in the future.”
Aethic plans to unveil its first product containing Photamin by Q4 of 2018.
CEO Allard Marx added: “Substantial scientific developments such as Photamin, which are good for people and sustainable for our planet, are the future. We are very proud and excited to have secured these rights and look forward to our customers protecting their skin with a single active ingredient.”