Jellyfish are normally thought of as the bane of all swimmers. Now there is a report that jellyfish can also used in cosmetics.
In France, the Javenech cosmetics company uses jellyfish to create a collagen that preserves the skin’s youthful appearance.
These animals are multiplying at a furious rate in large part due to global warming. So the company traps jellyfish for a week at the end of each spring around La Rochelle, France. The heads are frozen and then crushed in order to remove the collagen.
"The jellyfish is 98% water, 1% salt and 1% collagen. This product has been extracted from Rhizostoma jellyfish for the last decade," says Director of Regulatory Affairs for Javenech, Marc David.
Jellyfish collagen is very similar to that of humans. The species used are cnidarians, part of the jellyfish family which can reach 30 kg.
In addition, studies are looking into the Aequorea Victoria jellyfish which has a protein that turns it fluorescent. This protein could eventually be used as a tracer by researchers in the medical field.