Fibroin

TL;DR. This ingredient is used as a film-forming and conditioning protein, helping leave a smooth, soft feel on skin and hair. In hair care, it can improve slip, manageability, and temporary surface feel.

What does Fibroin do in a cosmetic formula?

This ingredient is used as a film-forming and conditioning protein, helping leave a smooth, soft feel on skin and hair. In hair care, it can improve slip, manageability, and temporary surface feel.

Is Fibroin clean?

From a clean-beauty perspective, this ingredient is generally well tolerated and not a common restricted-list concern. The main friction is sourcing, since it is animal-derived and may not fit vegan standards.

Is Fibroin sustainable?

This material is typically sourced from silkworm cocoons, so its sustainability profile depends on farming practices, animal-welfare standards, and supply-chain traceability. It is protein-based and biodegradable, with low environmental persistence compared with many synthetic film-formers.

Is Fibroin COSMOS-approved?

It may be compatible with COSMOS-natural when the animal-derived sourcing and processing meet the standard’s requirements, but it is not automatically aligned with COSMOS-organic. From a Green Chemistry view, it scores well for biodegradability and natural origin, with caveats around animal sourcing and processing methods.

How does Fibroin work chemically?

This compound is a structural protein rich in glycine, alanine, and serine sequences that can form beta-sheet domains, which helps explain its film-forming and smoothing behavior. Native forms are poorly soluble, while processed grades are used at low levels, often around 0.1% to 2%, with performance depending on molecular weight, pH, and compatibility with salts, surfactants, and preservatives.

Last updated 2026-05-13