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Ectoin Thoughts and advice!
Hi everyone! Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with Ectoin, it has some similarities with Glycerin and other Humectants as it is an osmolyte. But some additional benefits that seem to good to be true. Is it mostly marketing or is there any truth to it? It is a very expensive ingredient moq 1kg is around the €1300 so definitely need to be sure before purchasing as I don’t want to waste money on a glorified Humectant!Many thanks ????! -
4 Replies
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Ectoin is quite expensive but what is your intended use for it because there are other osmolytes? Looking at the product brochure, it looks more like a skin protectant type of ingredient to me.
If you are looking for others, perhaps Glycoin, or even cheaper ones like Trehalose, Betaine, would also be fine.
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It is a trendy osmolyte and compatible solute. It is mainly found in bacteria whilst plants and animals use other compounds for similar tasks. Apart from cosmetics and other dermal products, several pharmaceutical products containing ectoin as active ingredient like nose sprays, eye drops, or lozenges have been popping up in the last few years. These feel ‘comfortable’ but the effect ain’t as good and strong as I expected from marketing claims. Ectoin may have some advantages over other osmolytes such as being less tacky, having a faint anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory activity, and if applied as hypertonic solution won’t sing as unpleasant as salt and even glycerol do.Maybe one reason for its fame is that it protects from higher heat, pressure, and salinity than other osmolytes and compatible solutes and is hence called an ‘extremolyte’… which is maybe less due to its chemistry rather than the fact that plants and animals couldn’t live under those extreme conditions no matter what even if they were to use ectoin instead of glycerol, glycine betaine, erithritol, taurine, trehalose, proline, or similar compounds.In my personal opinion, its’ more smoke than fire. Given the high price, my interest in ectoin has faded… -
@Pharma thanks so much for your input ☺ I really appreciate it. I’m so glad I asked. It really sounded way to good to be true. You can never really rely on manufacturers data and marketing. Might still be a good idea to capitalise on it’s marketing as it’s not as prevalent or well know of an ingredient in the skin care realm. include it as a claims ingredient give people something new to talk about!
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