Ingredient glossary
Ergothioneine
On your shelf ✓What Ergothioneine does for your skin, who it suits, and what to watch for.
INCI: Ergothioneine · Also: L-Ergothioneine
In short: Ergothioneine delivers antioxidant and photoprotection, suits most skin types, and the evidence behind it is emerging.
- What it does
- Antioxidant, photoprotection
- Best for
- Most skin types
- Evidence
- Emerging
- How long
- Never measured
The molecule
The Glow take
Nice to have, and nothing to overthink.
Ergothioneine plays a quiet supporting role, rounding out a formula rather than being the reason you buy it.
— Maya
What it does
- antioxidant
- photoprotection
- repair
emerging evidenceCell and clinical poster data show topical ergothioneine reduces MMP-1 secretion and hydroxyl radicals more effectively than idebenone in photoaged skin but large independent trials are still lacking.
On a label: usually effective at 0.1-1%.
Who it's for, and who should skip it
Tends to suit
- photoaged
- normal
- dry
- combo
Approach with care
No specific group flagged to avoid it.
- Clogs poresLow
- Irritation riskLow
How it fits each skin type
- DrySuits
- CombinationSuits
- OilySuits
- SensitiveSuits
Often chosen for photoaged.
Where it fits in your routine
Nobody has published how long this takes to work.
What is known, and what is missing
Measured on: UV-induced oxidative damage / photoageing markers in treated skin.
What is known: ergothioneine is taken into skin cells by the OCTN-1 transporter, and cell-level work plus conference posters report reduced MMP-1 and hydroxyl radical load, in one comparison outperforming idebenone. What is missing: no peer-reviewed topical human trial with a stated visit schedule. The randomized human trials that do exist are oral supplements - 30 mg/day over 8 weeks with assessment at 4 and 8 weeks, and an ergothioneine-rich mushroom tablet over 12 weeks - and an ingested timeline cannot be transferred to a leave-on product, so this row stays blank rather than borrowing their numbers.
No topical human trial identified; oral ergothioneine RCTs (30 mg/day 8-week; Pleurotus 25 mg/day 12-week, PMID:38887673) cited only to show what the evidence actually covers
Plays well with
Ergothioneine, answered
Is Ergothioneine safe during pregnancy?
Yes. Ergothioneine is considered safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. As with anything, if you are unsure it is worth a quick word with your doctor or midwife.
Who should avoid Ergothioneine?
No specific group is flagged to avoid Ergothioneine. It is well tolerated by most skin. Still, introduce anything new one product at a time.
What concentration of Ergothioneine actually works?
Ergothioneine tends to do its job in the 0.1 to 1% range. Much lower and it is likely underdosed.
Compare Ergothioneine with
Can you mix Ergothioneine with
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