Elastin

Elastin is a fibrous protein that naturally occurs in the connective tissue in humans and animals. More specifically in skin, elastin makes up 2-4% of the dermis and allows skin to “bounce back” like a rubber band after stretching. As elastin breaks down, you begin to see signs of sagging skin.

As a skin care ingredient, elastin is sourced from farm animals such as cattle or goats, commonly extracted from the animal’s aorta or vertebrae. The elastin is treated, processed, and purified yielding a pale-yellow raw material that is practically insoluble and difficult to formulate with. It cannot function like elastin does within the body, as its molecules are far too large to penetrate beyond skin’s surface when applied topically. The Personal Care Products Council categorizes elastin as a skin-conditioning/hair-conditioning ingredient with slight humectant properties.

Some cosmetic suppliers also cite snail secretion filtrate (snail mucin) as a source of elastin. While it’s true snail secretion filtrate contains components of elastin, don’t expect miracles as it cannot shore up or function like the elastin in skin.

As of 2022, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel deemed elastin safe as a cosmetic ingredient, but they did not provide data on recommended usage levels as concentrations were not reported.

One thing to keep in mind: Unlike collagen, it’s much harder to stimulate the regeneration of elastin within the extracellular matrix (area of skin between the epidermis and dermis). That’s why it’s important to maintain the health of the elastin already present in skin through the consistent usage of sun safe practices, such as the application of a broad-spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen every day.