Database/Skin Conditioning/Ectoin
100% natural origin · ISO 16128

Is Ectoin natural?

Yes. Made only by fermenting salt-loving bacteria; no petrochemical synthesis route is used commercially.

INCI nameEctoin
CAS96702-03-3
FormulaC6H10N2O2 · 142.16 Da
FunctionSkin Conditioning
FeedstockProduced by fermenting halophilic bacteria such as Halomonas…

How we scored it

Compatible solute produced exclusively by bacterial fermentation ('bacterial milking') → 100% natural
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.

Where it comes from

Produced by fermenting halophilic bacteria such as Halomonas elongata and extracting the compound they make to survive high-salt conditions.

In plain English

A moisture-protecting ingredient made by salt-loving bacteria to survive harsh conditions. Produced entirely by bacterial fermentation, then extracted for use in skincare.

Structure

2D structure of Ectoin

(6S)-2-methyl-1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidine-6-carboxylic acid

PubChem CID 126041 ↗

References

  1. 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
  2. 2Ectoin. PubChem CID 126041. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3ECTOIN. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4ECTOIN. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=ECTOIN