What do we need to know about elastin?

The essential point to remember.

Elastin is a dermal protein that provides skin elasticity and resilience.
Elastin is used in the form of peptides in cosmetics and promotes skin hydration, firmness, and healing, while exhibiting antioxidant and brightening potential.
While the potential of elastin for hair remains to be confirmed, its role in follicle health opens promising avenues.
To date, no study has shown that elastin poses a risk of irritation, allergic reaction, photosensitization, or adverse effects during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

4 minutes to understand your skin. Our dermatological diagnostic guides you toward the ideal skincare for your specific needs. Simple, quick, personalized.

Elastin, in brief.

Elastin is an essential connective tissue protein, formed from a precursor molecule called tropoelastin. By associating with fibrillin-rich microfibrils, it makes up the elastic fibers that give the skin its stretchability and ability to return to its original shape. With the collagen and proteoglycans, such as hyaluronic acid, elastin forms a complex network, oriented both parallel and perpendicular to the surface of the skin, which plays an important role in tissue resilience and in blood vessel flexibility. The unique characteristic of elastin is its exceptional stability: once formed, it renews very little over the course of life, making it particularly susceptible to damage and the wear of time.

Importance de l'élastine, du collagène et de l'acide hyaluronique dans la peau. — The importance of elastin, collagen, and hyaluronic acid in the skin.
Source: YI K.-H. & al. Manufacturing process of hyaluronic acid dermal fillers. Polymers (2024).

The synthesis of elastin, known as elastogenesis, is a highly specialized process that occurs primarily during fetal development and the early years of life. Subsequently, tropoelastin production declines sharply, leading to a progressive decrease in the density and quality of elastic fibers. This thinning manifests as skin laxity, loss of tone, and increased skin fragility, exacerbated by extrinsic aging, particularly sun exposure.

2% to 4%

Elastin makes up the dry weight of the dermis.

How is elastin obtained for cosmetic use?

Historically, the elastin used in cosmetics comes from animal sources, mainly from poultry skin or porcine aorta. These elastic fiber–rich tissues undergo sequential extraction steps to yield a powder or hydrolysate enriched in peptides of elastin, readily incorporated into creams or serums. It should be noted that isolating pure elastin presents several technical challenges: the mature form is highly cross-linked and insoluble and cannot be extracted by conventional chemical methods. Only tropoelastin—its soluble precursor—can be partially isolated, but it remains unstable and prone to enzymatic degradation. Consequently, cosmetic products most often contain elastin fragments rather than the intact native protein, which does not diminish their efficacy.

Faced with the limitations of animal-derived elastin, research has turned to more ethical and biotechnological alternatives, such as recombinant elastin polypeptides. These biomaterials are produced by controlled genetic expression, typically in the bacterium Escherichia coli, from sequences encoding human tropoelastin. Beyond its ethical advantage, another benefit of this biotechnological elastin lies in its defined and tunable structure, which allows precise adjustment of its size and amino acid composition.

A closer look at the various benefits of elastin for skin and hair.

The use of elastin in cosmetics is still relatively recent, and scientific studies investigating its topical effects remain few, in contrast to those on collagen and hyaluronic acid. However, research is beginning to highlight several interesting properties of elastin and its peptides for the skin.

Elastin has moisturizing properties.
Elastin peptides have a strong affinity for water due to their richness in polar amino acids, enabling them to form a film on the skin’s surface and limit transepidermal water loss. One study showed that skin samples treated with modified elastin (HAPA-elastin) had an average water content of 77.2%, compared to 49.4% in untreated samples, confirming its role in water retention. This hydrating effect explains the frequent use of hydrolyzed elastin in skincare products formulated for dry or mature skin.
Elastin could help combat hyperpigmentation.
Elastin and its peptides can influence melanogenesis by modulating tyrosinase activity, the enzyme responsible for converting tyrosine into melanin. By limiting this enzymatic activity, they may help even out skin tone. The elastin-HAPA study demonstrated an 11.3% ± 3.9% inhibition of tyrosinase, suggesting a modest depigmenting effect. Although promising, this effect remains mild and warrants further research.
Elastin exhibits antioxidant properties.
Elastin-derived peptides exhibit a strong capacity to neutralize free radicals. One study showed that peptides obtained by alkaline hydrolysis contained 68 mg per 100 mg of amino acids with antioxidant activity, featuring a molecular distribution favorable for free radical scavenging. These properties make elastin peptides promising candidates to protect the skin from oxidative stress that accelerate skin aging.
Elastin has a firming effect.
Studies in vitro have shown that elastin peptides can stimulate fibroblast proliferation and increase their capacity to produce new collagen and elastin fibers, thereby enhancing dermal structure. In a clinical trial, 30 women applied a recombinant elastin-type polypeptide for 28 days. After this period, skin elasticity increased significantly, and the number, volume, and area of wrinkles around the eye contour were significantly reduced, with a 23.5% decrease in wrinkle count. These results suggest that elastin and its peptides can help firm the skin and reduce the visibility of aging signs.
Elastin promotes skin healing.
Experimental studies in rats have shown that elastin, applied locally in its native form or conjugated with tannic acid (E/T), can accelerate wound healing. Rats treated with the E/T conjugate demonstrated faster wound closure, reaching 53% by day 3 and 90% by day 7, compared to 33% and 67% for elastin alone, and only 20% and 50% for the untreated group. Histological analysis confirmed more rapid reformation of the epidermis and dermis in the treated groups, suggesting that elastin can support the repair of damaged tissues.

What about elastin in haircare applications?

To date, no clinical study has demonstrated that elastin can offer benefits for hair. However, research indicates that elastin plays a role in the hair-growth cycle. Alterations in the architecture of elastic fibers in the scalp have been associated with follicular miniaturization in androgenetic hair loss, and abnormal elastin deposits may contribute to the inability of miniaturized follicles to regain their original diameter. These findings suggest that maintaining or reinforcing the scalp’s elastic structures could support hair health. While direct evidence for topical use is lacking, elastin may emerge as a promising active ingredient for preserving hair in the future.

Elastin: are there any dangers or contraindications to be aware of?

Current research indicates that elastin and elastin-like polypeptides are well tolerated, with no adverse effects reported in clinical studies.

Elastin peptides exhibit excellent biocompatibility and low immunogenicity, meaning they are very unlikely to elicit an immune response. However, it is important to note that most available studies are short-term and involve a small number of participants, which does not entirely rule out the risk of irritation or allergic reactions in certain individuals related to elastin or its peptides. Additionally, elastin is non-photosensitizing, allowing for safe use year-round, morning and evening. Furthermore, no contraindications are known for pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Best practice : Before using a new product or active ingredient, apply a small amount to the crook of your elbow or the inside of your wrist and wait 48 hours to ensure your skin isn’t sensitive.