What is Ectoin? Is Ectoin Good for Skin?
Is Ectoin the next big skin ingredient or just overhyped snake oil? What in the flip flop even is it?
Ectoin, sometimes spelled Ectoine, has catapulted its way into the beauty and skincare scene in recent months and is expected to be one of 2024s ‘hottest’ (did I just write that?) ingredients. Ectoin was discovered all the way back in the foggy days of yesteryear; the distant past of 1985 where it was observed in a specific species of purple sulphur bacterium Ectothiorhodospira halochloris. So, what is this new-to-market ingredient and why are heavy hitter brands like Dr. Jart+, ILIA and Beauty Pie including it in all sorts of products? Does it actually do anything good for the skin or is Ectoin another overhyped ingredient with poor literature support? Let’s find out!
What is Ectoin?
Ectoin is a naturally occurring amino acid derivative found in numerous kinds of bacteria. Interestingly, it is found at the highest concentration in bacterial species which live in the most diabolic areas full of extreme environmental stressors – think very high temperatures or extreme salt. Ectoin acts as a protective molecule within these bacteria.
Ectoin is described as an ‘extremolyte’; low- molecular weight substances that stabilise critical biological structures including membranes proteins and nucleic acids when these structures are exposed to extreme environmental stress.
For formulators, it appears as a light, white powder that dissolves readily in water. It is typically produced commercially by exposing certain strains of bacteria to a high salt environment to stimulate production of the molecule. The same bacteria are then switched to a low-salt environment and the Ectoin leaches into the surrounding media for collection. As such it is a naturally occurring and naturally produced material when used in cosmetics.
What does Ectoin do for the skin? Is it effective?
Ectoin has several scientifically and some clinically proven benefits which underpin and support its use in numerous cosmetic applications. Snake oil it is not! While INCI Beauty lists the only official INCI function of Ectoin as Skin Conditioning, there is much more to this molecule than conditioning action.
UV Protection – Ectoin has been shown to stabilise proteins which are often rendered unstable by UV exposure. Useful inclusion in sun care and after sun formulas. Note that this does not mean that Ectoin protects against UV; it is NOT a UV filter. It means that it able to help minimise damage induced by UV. A second study supports these findings that Ectoin is able to prevent UVA-induced photo premature photo aging.
Protecting - An interesting 2016 review suggests Ectoin will find great utility as a protective agent in both human and animal products due to its inherent anti-inflammatory properties as well as its skin protecting and enzyme stabilising effects.
Dermatitis Treatment – A human trial showed that topical treatment with an Ectoin containing cream was very well tolerated and produced similar positive results as a known nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory cream. Topical treatment with Ectoin may be a novel therapeutic approach for tackling Atopic Dermatitis.
What does Ectoin pair well with?
Ectoin pairs well with several ingredients, especially known soothing and humectant agents. It combines particularly well with the ingredients below, either to enhance their function, or balance potential side effects. Much like Glycerine, Ectoin is useful to include in formulas with exfoliating or cleansing ingredients that may results in dryness such as Alpha/Beta Hydroxy Acids like Lactic, Malic Acid and Salicylic Acid.
Hyaluronic Acid – humectant
Panthenol – humectant, soothing
Niacinamide – smoothing
Urea – exfoliating, humectant
Alpha Hydroxy Acids – cleansing, exfoliating
How to Formulate with Ectoin
As can probably be guessed from its natural role – Ectoin is an extremely hardy compound, able to withstand high temperatures, high salinity and also pH fluctuations so from a technical standpoint it is very straight forward to formulate with. Ectoin is fully water soluble so is introduced during the Water Phase of a formulation. It will dissolve in both hot or cold processed water although heat will speed up the rate of dissolving.
Ectoin is typically used in formulas at 0.5-1% by weight if it is one of many actives but up to 5% when it is considered the main active.
Is Ectoin safe for skin?
All indicators are that Ectoin is very well tolerated by all manner of skin types including sensitive skin. Having been used successfully in small atopic dermatitis treatment trials suggests it is tolerated well even by the most troublesome and inflamed skin. A large meta-review of 230 references in which topical Ectoin was applied to infants and adults across a variety of studies at concentrations ranging from 5.5-7.0%, in a range of vehicles and involving long term application, up to 6 months; Ectoin was found to have an:
‘’excellent tolerability and safety profile, representing a beneficial alternative as basic skin therapy or to increase the efficacy of the pharmacological treatment regimen for patients with inflammatory skin diseases, including infants and children’’.
Summary
There are multiple reasons Ectoin has shot to prominence so quickly, and unlike many ‘new and improved’ cosmetic ingredients, there is a wealth of un-biased and well-conducted research into topical Ectoin showing real and significant therapeutic promise within skin care. So why is Ectoin such a big hitter?
· Excellent safety profile and incredibly well tolerated
· Suitable for all skin types
· A powerful humectant
· Useful as an actual therapy for genuine skin disorders
· Easy to work with
This post was written by our Chief Scientist, Dr. Edward Jones
