Abstract:The by-products from processing of sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus were taken as the objects of investigation in this study. The enzymatic hydrolysates from the body wall of sea cucumber were used as controls. The functions of moisturizing, sunscreen, anti-oxidation, whitening and anti-aging of the enzymatic hydrolysates of viscera and the body wall extracts were determined. The aim was to evaluate the effects of the by-products from processing of sea cucumber on skin care efficacy. The results showed that the enzymatic hydrolysates of viscera and the body wall extracts were better than the enzymatic hydrolysates of body wall in moisturizing, sunscreen, anti-oxidation and anti-aging functions. The comprehensive evaluation of hygroscopic moisturizing and anti-aging functions of the enzymatic hydrolysates of viscera showed the best effects: at 12 h of 81% RH, the moisture absorption and retention were 52.51% and 95.04%, and the elastase inhibition rate was 26.34%, respectively. The body wall extracts showed the best performance in sunscreen and anti-oxidation functions: in UVC and UVB wavelength ranges, the average UV absorbance rate were 94.52% and 33.89%, IC50 of the DPPH free radical scavenging rate was 3.00 mg/mL, and the total antioxidant capacity were 4.48 mmol/g and 5.91 mmol/g by ABTS and FRAP method, respectively. In terms of whitening function, IC50 of tyrosinase inhibition rate of the body wall extracts and the enzymatic hydrolysates of viscera were 49.43 mg/mL and 40.00 mg/mL, which were lower whitening function than that of the enzymatic hydrolysates of the body wall (IC50=16.82 mg/mL). However, they could still play a good whitening effect. The combined application of two kinds of by-products by taking their advantages of the skin care efficacy function, or as the complementary products for the enzymatic hydrolysates of body wall in skin care could achieve the efficient development and utilization of the by-products from processing of sea cucumber.