Ergothioneine
A rare amino-acid antioxidant naturally found in mushrooms. Concentrates in tissues exposed to oxidative stress, including skin.
Scavenges hydroxyl radicals, singlet oxygen, and protects mitochondrial DNA. Selectively accumulates via OCTN1 transporter.
- Selective tissue antioxidant
- Anti-inflammatory
- Photo-protective
What the evidence supports.
- All skin types
No notable contraindications reported.
Mid-routine serum or treatment step.
Concentration range in well-formulated products: 0.1%–1%
Year-round.
Mushrooms (oyster, shiitake, porcini are highest sources).
No specific deficiency signals tracked for this ingredient.
Emerging luxury antioxidant; expensive raw material.
The research behind Ergothioneine.
Every claim on this page traces to published research. Findings below are drawn from randomized trials and systematic reviews, each links to the study on PubMed.
Annals of Internal Medicine, 2013
Inflammation and Allergy Drug Targets, 2014
No flagged conflicts. Still, patch-test new actives.
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