Sericin
AKA “Silk Protein, Silk Sericin
Synthetic
Ingredient Facts
Sericin
AKA: Silk Protein, Silk Sericin
Synthetic · Antistatic · EWG: 4
Synthetic
Skin Conditioner
Hair Care
Synthetic
Clean
Silk protein that smooths and conditions hair and skin while reducing frizz and static. Leaves strands soft and silky.
CAS #
60650-88-6, 60650-89-7
Form
Powder
See origin →
Functions
Antistatic
Hair Conditioning
A catch-all term for ingredients that improve how skin looks and feels — softer, smoother, more supple. The workhorse behind most moisturizers.
Skin Conditioning
A catch-all term for ingredients that improve how skin looks and feels — softer, smoother, more supple. The workhorse behind most moisturizers.
Smoothing
Locks in moisture
Smooths skin texture
Traditional Use
A protein extracted from silk cocoons, with silk having been valued in East Asian skincare for centuries. Modern sericin extraction became commercially viable in the 20th century, allowing this traditional silk-derived ingredient to be isolated and used in contemporary skincare products.
Skin Types
all-skin-types
Best For
Dryness
Melanin-Rich Skin
Suitable
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Safe
Yes
EWG
4
CIR
Safe
Pregnancy
Yes
CIR Safety Findings
Not Phototoxic
medical-approval
all-shades-safe
Regulatory Status
USApermitted
EUrestricted
JAPANrestricted
CANADArestricted
Safety Assessment of Silk Protein Ingredients as Used in Cosmetics
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel
International Journal of Toxicology
Hydrolyzed Sericin
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Sericin
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Hydrolyzed Sericin
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
Safety Assessment of Silk Protein Ingredients as Used in Cosmetics.
Johnson W Jr, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, Hill RA, Klaassen CD et al.
International journal of toxicology, 2020
Safety Assessment of Silk Protein Ingredients as Used in Cosmetics.
Johnson W Jr, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, Hill RA, Klaassen CD et al.
International journal of toxicology, 2020
Silkworm Sericin: Properties and Biomedical Applications.
Kunz RI, Brancalhão RM, Ribeiro LF, Natali MR
BioMed research international, 2016
Silk Sericin and Its Effect on Skin Wound Healing: A State of the Art.
Mazurek Ł, Rybka M, Jurak J, Frankowski J, Konop M
Macromolecular bioscience, 2024
Tamanu oil potentiated novel sericin emulgel of levocetir...
Ravi Raj Pal, Poonam Parashar, Indu Singh, Shubhini A Saraf
Journal of microencapsulation, 2019
Tamanu oil potentiated novel sericin emulgel of levocetir...
Ravi Raj Pal, Poonam Parashar, Indu Singh, Shubhini A Saraf
Journal of microencapsulation, 2019
Verified Feb 2026
Data: CosIng · EWG · CIR
Sericin — Duck Heart Ghost