Everyone's Talking About: Ectoin

Dr Philippa Cranwell, Technical Content Creator

Ectoin (also spelled ectoine) is the latest beauty trend to hit the cosmetics market and is making waves with its broad array of biological benefits. Ectoin was first isolated in 1985 by Galinski, Pfeiffer and Trüper from the extremely halophilic (salt-loving) bacterium Ectothiorhodospira halochloris. These bacteria must resist conditions such as intensive sun irradiation, high temperatures and extreme dryness, with bacteria secreting ectoin as part of their defense mechanism. 

The chemical name for ectoin is 1,4,5,6-tetrahydro-2-methyl-4-pyrimidinecarboxylic acid, with the structure resembling that of a heterocyclic amino acid. This is key for its mode of action: the quasi-amino acid structure allows it to stabilize proteins and other cellular structures, which helps protect the organism from stresses such as UV radiation and dryness. In addition, ectoin does not impact upon cell metabolism, so the safety profile is good. Finally, the amphoteric nature and excellent water solubility means that it can be added to a range of cosmetic formulations with relative ease. 

Ectoin can be produced commercially and in high purity using biotechnology. One of the first patented uses was from Merck, who pioneered it’s inclusion as a moisturizer within cosmetic products, as well as an antioxidant and free-radical scavenger. In particular, their product RonaCare™ is marketed to protect skin from environmental stress and pollution, including UVA-induced photoaging, as well as acting as a super-moisturizer and contributing to graceful aging and wellbeing. 

Although the benefits of ectoin have been known for a long time, in recent years there has been a resurgence in interest that is likely due to two things. Firstly, as noted above, the amino acid-like structure means that it can bind to proteins, cell membranes and nucleic acid and stabilize them, an excellent USP for any skincare product. Secondly, ectoin can easily form hydrogen bonds with water and therefore serves to aid hydration in cells, another key selling-point for numerous products. With this in mind, it looks like the future of ectoin is bright, and there are likely to be many more beauty products containing ectoin coming to the market soon, including moisturizing creams, serums, shampoos and conditioners, and even make-up. 

Contact us for more information about our skin testing capabilities.

Free Places on TRI Skin Course Available to TRI Member Companies

One of the benefits of becoming a TRI Member Company is you get free places on TRI’s educational courses.  Supporting, Sustaining, and Founding Members get 2, 4 and 10 free places, respectively, on every course we offer.  Registrations are open now for the TRI Principles of Skin Measurement Science and Claims course that will take place this year on 11th and 12th September.  This year the course will run as a hybrid event.  Attendees can join in person at TRI, or online.   Book now if you wish to attend in person, as places are limited. For more information about the course click here.

REGISTER NOW

TRI Member Companies 2024

To use your free places, go to the registration site and click on the ‘Pricing’ page.  Here you will find all the discount codes for our member companies, and the numbers of free tickets available to each company.  Once you have noted your company discount code, just start your registration by clicking on ‘Register Now’.  You will be asked for your discount code at the last, payment stage of the registration process.  With this code entered your fee to pay will drop to $0.  If your discount code is rejected, contact us, as all the places might be filled for your company.  We can check whether this is case and offer you a 10% members’ discount on paid registrations. 

We ask, with respect, that you only select the in-person event if you are 100% sure you will attend, as places are very limited, and these tickets are in high demand.   Not only this, but if you don’t come, then food, drink and entertainments will be wasted on an empty place.

Contact us today for more information about TRI’s educational courses.

Everybody is Talking about: Snail Mucin for Skin

Dr Philippa Cranwell, Technical Content Creator

When thinking of snails, the first adjectives that likely come to mind are ‘slimy’, ‘slippery’ and ‘garden pest’. You’re unlikely to think of them as the latest beauty trend! However, snail mucin is purported to offer a range of beauty benefits including repairing skin damage, soothing irritation, fading acne scars, hydration, helping with atopic dermatitis and even antibacterial properties. This isn’t a modern thing; use of mucus left behind by snails and slugs has been traced back to Ancient Greece, where it was used to reduce inflammation and signs of aging and was allegedly endorsed by Hippocrates.  

 Photo from: http://www.cosmoderma.healios.co.in/is-snail-based-cosmetics-worth-all-the-hype/

Each snail species excretes mucus with a particular chemical fingerprint, and in some cases secretes mucus for a particular purpose, however the general use of the mucin is the same: mucin from the snail’s foot is for lubrication and adhesion, whereas mucin from the snail’s tail is for microbial defense and tissue hydration.

Snail mucin is comprised of many trusted ingredients that are already ‘having a moment’ in skincare, including growth factors, antioxidants and hyaluronic acid. In addition, it also comprises several other molecules including glycosaminoglycans, glycoproteins, allantoin, glycolic acid, lactic acid, collagen, and elastin. The fact that all of these beneficial products are available from one natural product means that the potential market value of snail mucin-containing products is high, with an estimated market value of $1.2 bn in 2021, ultimately reaching $2.1 bn in 2031.  

However, with such a large market deriving from a natural material, and increasing consumer awareness of a product’s origins, consideration must be made to the provenance of materials and ethical treatment of the snails. Importantly, the quality and quantity of mucin produced is dependent upon the snail’s diet, their environment and the method of mucin collection, with their natural habitat giving the best results.  

When developing a product containing snail mucin, claims and their substantiation is likely to be at the forefront of the mind. TRI Princeton can offer a range of services to support this, including skin NMF levels, actives penetration, anti-aging testing and skin moisture levels.  

Contact us today to discuss your skin testing needs.