An organism capable of living—and thriving—in an extreme environment is remarkable, proof that it has the ability to combat all manner of external stressors. In the case of the Blue Lagoon, an environment that is very extreme, those organisms are truly extraordinary.

The Blue Lagoon is comprised of 65% seawater and 35% freshwater, teeming with minerals. Extracted through underground springs, this geothermal seawater is created 7,000 feet below the earth and reaches the surface at inhospitable 500 degrees Fahrenheit. In such an extreme environment, scientists thought any viable ecosystem would be impossible.

But then something curious happened.

“When we opened the Blue Lagoon, bathers loved to apply the white silica mud from the bottom of the Lagoon on their skin because the silica had a good effect on their skin,” says Ása Brynjólfsdóttir, who has led the research team at the Blue Lagoon since 1993. “Soon, the bathers began to report that the silica mud with a slightly green tint to it was even more effective.

”What exactly was giving the silica-rich mud a blue-green tint? The answer led to a breakthrough ingredient discovery in modern skincare.

The blue-green microalgae discovered in the Blue Lagoon ecosystem is unique,” says Ása Brynjólfsdóttir, who lead studies on the microorganism since those first bathers first spotted it over three decades ago. The studies, along with in vitro and in vivo clinical studies conducted by Professor Jean Krutmann at the Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf, confirmed that Blue Lagoon Microalgae had the ability to stimulate collagen production and prevent collagen breakdown in the skin. “This is something that had not previously been documented,” says Brynjólfsdóttir. These proven anti-aging benefits led to patents of Blue Lagoon Microalgae—both in the European Union and the United States—and ultimately, the foundation and development of the BL+ COMPLEX, the star ingredient behind BL+ Skincare.

Here, the key benefits of this unique organism.

• Prevents collagen breakdown. At the molecular level, Blue Lagoon Microalgae inhibits the production of something called matrix metalloproteinase-1 (or MMP-1), an enzyme that increases the breakdown of collagen. Decreasing the production of this enzyme prevents the skin from becoming weak or slack.

• Boosts collagen synthesis. Professor Krutmann’s studies concluded that the microalgae from the Blue Lagoon significantly increases the mRNA expression of COL1A1 and COL1A2—genes that encode for new collagen. “This exclusive bioactive ingredient restores collagen fibers in the dermis, reducing fine lines and wrinkles in the epidermis and reinvigorating the skin’s elasticity, firmness, and strength,” explains Brynjólfsdóttir.