With many skincare and beauty products containing silk in its ingredients popping up in the market, many have asked me if our skin actually absorb its benefits.
Silk proteins skincare – is it a marketing gimmick or a scientifically proven breakthrough?
Let’s get to know the two types of silk and their benefits first.
Silk Proteins: Sericin & Fibroid Silk
There are two types of proteins in silk – sericin and fibroin.
Sericin is a protein that binds strands of silk together. It is supposed to be useful in wound healing.
Fibroin is the structural protein of silk, providing tensile strength and upholding its structure. Some research data indicated that it may help to repair skin damage and improve wound healing and also act as layers of protective skin barriers.
Can the Active Silk Amino Acids in skincare actually be absorbed into the skin?
Silk powder, silk peptides, silk protein, and silk amino acids are various substances which can be found across various products. The critical difference between them is their particle sizes, which affects water solubility.
The smaller the particle sizes, the easier it is for them to penetrate deeper into various layers of our skin. For example, silk amino acids have smaller particle sizes than silk peptides or protein and hence can be more easily absorbed.
Unfortunately, there is not enough evidence-based research data to substantiate claims of silk protein in treating skin wrinkles or skin regeneration.
Silky Smooth Skin
However, there are some encouraging data on the silk’s ability to improve skin hydration, barrier protection and wound healing.
Silk protein-based skincare products are rather useful when used to hydrate dry skin.
The sericin protein forms a layer of barrier over the skin and may help promote hydration while fibroin may help to repair skin cells and balance moisture levels.
