Spirulina for Hair: Benefits and How to Use

Spirulina is a microalgae superfood that is packed with nutrients like protein, iron, amino acids, fatty acids, and various vitamins. It contains a wide range of nutrients including zinc, B vitamins, vitamin E, various antioxidants, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids, and chlorophyll, and is also full of antioxidants and high in protein, so it's good for your insides and outside. Spirulina can be found in supplement and powder form as well in skin and hair care products, which intrigued me. How can spirulina be good for your hair? I asked a few experts to get to the bottom of the sea (that's an algae joke).

Spirulina for Hair

  • Type of ingredient: antioxidant
  • Main benefits: Promotes hair growth, fights dandruff, and purifies and cleanses the scalp
  • Who should use it: In general, spirulina works for anyone with thin or damaged hair.
  • Works well with: Spirulina has a synergistic effect with vitamin C.

How to Use Spirulina for Hair

You can take spirulina supplements or powder to gain its benefits for your hair, and it's also becoming incredibly popular in hair products, as well. Williams suggests adding spirulina to your shampoo and conditioner, or into your favorite hair mask. "Allow the conditioner or mask to sit on the hair as you would during a normal haircare routine, and rinse completely," Williams says. She also adds that it can be good for scalp massage: "Spirulina can also be blended into a hair oil and massaged into the hair and scalp."

The Best Hair Products With Spirulina

Engelman loves Prose because they offer high-quality haircare products customized for your individual hair and scalp needs. "Their Pre-Shampoo Scalp Mask and Custom Shampoo can be formulated with spirulina and are packed with other nourishing ingredients to strengthen, rebalance, and hydrate the hair and scalp," she explains.

IGK's Good Behavior Spirulina Protein Anti-Frizz Smoothing Spray is a heat- protective blowout spray that helps to combat heat, UV damage, and humidity, with spirulina protein to strengthen the hair. This spray also uses innovative bonding polymers to give your blowout a high-shine, keratin-smooth look when activated with heat.

Along with taking supplements and incorporating spirulina powders inoto your diet, you can also add spirulina to your shampoo and conditioner or into your favorite hair mask.

Those with low-porosity hair might want to avoid spirulina—the protein might be a little too much for your hair.

Deng R, Chow T-J. Hypolipidemic, antioxidant and antiinflammatory activities of microalgae spirulina. Cardiovasc Ther. 2010;28(4): e33-e45.

Karkos PD, Leong SC, Karkos CD, Sivaji N, Assimakopoulos DA. Spirulina in clinical practice: evidence-based human applications. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2011;2011: 531053.

Trüeb RM. Oxidative stress in ageing of hair. Int J Trichology. 2009;1(1): 6-14.

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