There’s another off-kilter element vying to make an appearance in your medicine cabinet: algae. Yup, the stuff that's currently being blamed for Rio's shamrock-green Olympic pools might make the water there murky, but athletes' skin oh so clean. It's not sexiest of components—you’re probably picturing slippery rocks and pond scum right about now—but if you can get past all that, you’ll be better for it. You see, research has shown that proteins derived from certain blue and green algaes, as well as seaweed and kelp, can provide a ton of beneficial skincare qualities (plus a few for your hair). In particular, these scientist-approved extracts can work wonders at relieving redness, firming up skin and fighting back against signs of aging, as well infusing your mane with that much sought-after softness and shine. Not half bad for the stuff you’ve gone lengths to avoid at the beach this summer. Ready to give it a shot? Then here are five products you can buy right now that feature the green stuff in their ingredient lists.

Lab Series Cooling Shave Cream, $19, available at labseries.com

Anthony Algae Facial Cleanser, $36, available at sephora.com

True Botanicals Renew Cellular Repair Serum, $140, available at truebotanicals.com

Context Hydrating Toner, $35, available at contextskin.com

Sachajuan Volume Shampoo, $26, available at nordstrom.com

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