Ectoin®
Ectoin was discovered in 1985 by German researchers in biotechnology in search of various species of microorganisms. Their studies were based on an understanding of the structure and properties of extremophilic species (those adapted to extreme physical and chemical conditions). The salt-tolerant bacterium, Halomonas elongata, was extracted by a fermentation process, as well as extremophilic bacterial species, Ectoin, which is a surviving supermolecule of extremophilic microorganisms. Ectoin was discovered in the salt lakes of Wadi El Natrun in Northern Egypt, where it was able to survive significant daily fluctuations of temperature for millions of years. Research has shown that Ectoin protects the structure of the cell-bounding membrane from adverse environmental factors, such as UVA radiation and “blue light”, while regenerating damaged cells.