Silk Fibroin Powder

Where is silk fibroin found?

Silk fibroin is found in the core of natural silk fibers produced by silkworms, mainly Bombyx mori and Antheraea pernyi. It forms the inner structural layer of the silk filament, covered externally by sericin.

Mechanism of action

The core component of silk powder is silk fibroin. It achieves moisture retention and locking through its amino acid composition (rich in glycine and alanine) and hydrophilic groups. It repairs the skin barrier with biocompatibility and its active fragments can eliminate free radicals, possessing both nutritional supply and biological regulation functions.

Skin-Care Creams and Lotions

Its moisture-regulating features make it suitable for creams, emulsions, and lotions. It helps enhance product texture, supports moisture balance, and delivers a smooth, breathable application feel in daily skincare formulations.

Sunscreen Products

Silk fibroin powder is used in sunscreen formulations as a physical light-modulating ingredient. Its crystalline and porous structures help enhance UV-scattering efficiency and improve the overall texture, making the product smoother and easier to apply.

Oil-Control and Matte-Finish Cosmetics

Its natural ability to capture small amounts of oil makes silk fibroin suitable for powders and foundations designed for oily or combination skin. It helps reduce surface shine, improves adherence, and provides a soft, lightweight finish.

Personal Care Products

Silk fibroin is added to body powders, deodorant powders, and hand-care products to improve powder flowability, dryness control, and sensory performance. It provides a soft touch and enhances comfort during application.

High Optical Scattering Stability: Silk fibroin powder contains β-sheet crystalline regions that provide strong and stable light-scattering capability, enhancing optical uniformity and improving the visual performance of powder-based formulations.

Porous Helical Microstructure: Silk fibroin powder exhibits a helical molecular arrangement that forms a porous micro-network, which modulates light transmission and can partially absorb certain UV wavelengths while maintaining a lightweight, breathable skin texture.

Efficient Humidity-Regulating Capability: Silk fibroin powder is rich in hydrophilic functional groups (hydroxyl, carboxyl, amino), enabling dynamic adsorption and release of moisture to deliver excellent humidity-regulating performance in topical formulations.

Selective Lipid-Binding Property: Silk fibroin powder contains hydrophobic amino acid segments that enable selective binding or retention of oils, helping to stabilize oil phases in formulations and contribute to improved oil-control behavior.

Q1: What is silk fibroin used for?

A: Silk fibroin powder is widely used in skincare, cosmetics, and personal care products, including creams, lotions, foundations, powders, sunscreens, and deodorants. It enhances texture, regulates moisture, controls surface oil, provides a smooth, breathable feel, and delivers a natural soft-focus effect for improved sensory experience.

Q2: Is silk fibroin a hydrogel?

A: Silk fibroin itself is a natural fibrous protein and not a hydrogel. However, it can be converted into a hydrogel through physical treatments, such as temperature or shear-induced gelation, or chemical methods, such as crosslinking agents, forming a water-retentive network suitable for biomedical and cosmetic applications.

Q3: Is silk powder the same as silk peptide powder?

A: Silk powder and silk peptide powder are not the same substance. Silk powder is a high-molecular-weight protein that retains the original fibrous structure of silk. Silk peptide powder consists of low-molecular-weight peptide fragments and is the hydrolyzed product of silk fibroin. Although they share a similar amino acid composition, they differ in molecular structure, preparation methods, and application characteristics.

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