Ingredient spotlight: Ectoin

Trending ingredients by their very nature, come and go. And if beauty TikTok is anything to go by, a lot of them should be swerved, particularly if you’ve got sensitive skin.

But we couldn’t help but notice one ingredient cropping up time and again recently: Ectoin. An ingredient we can fully get behind, because our chemists were way ahead of the curve on this one.

A key component of one of our age-defying formulas Salvation Jane™, Ectoin (INCI name: Ectoine) is garnering popularity for its ability to visibly improve the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, long-term moisturisation, skin barrier repair, UV and blue light protection and more.

What is Ectoin?

Ectoine is an amino acid known as an ‘extremolyte’. It was discovered by scientists in an Egyptian desert in 1985. Extremolytes are natural stress protection molecules that microorganisms and plants produce to help counter environmental stresses, like dryness and extreme temperature changes. That’s why they’re found in the earth’s most hostile and severe habitats, like salt lakes and deserts.

This find was significant, because if an extremolyte like Ectoine can help a plant or microorganism to protect itself – then those molecules could surely be used to protect the skin from those same stresses.

Fast forward almost 40 years and now Ectoine has become one of the most important and trusted natural ingredients in so-called anti-ageing skincare.

Ectoin skin benefits

Dubbed nature’s self-defence strategy, Ectoin is a natural moisture binder. When it binds with water on the skin it creates a Hydro Complex – which surrounds the cells, enzymes and proteins by forming a protective, hydration shell around them.

That’s why products containing this brilliant amino acid can be highly effective at protecting our skin cells from UV damage, fluctuating temperatures and pollution – all contributors to premature ageing and skin damage.

Studies show that Ectoine also has anti-inflammatory and anti-irritant properties which can help calm skin inflammation, protect against allergens and help soothe skin that’s prone to redness and sensitivity.

And because of its ability to repair and strengthen the skin barrier, it can help prevent and lower transepidermal water loss (TEWL), locking moisture into the skin for longer.

Our Ectoin-powered formula

We’ve included Ectoine in Salvation Jane™ – our targeted daily moisturiser for mature skin. Along with Echium and Hyaluronic Acid, this omega and antioxidant-rich formula helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and boost the skin’s hydration, elasticity and surface structure.

Discover our Ectoine-powered moisturiser for plumper, smoother skin right here.