Mia Seilern
METHIONINE
⚠️ Data is provided for informational purposes only. It may contain inaccuracies and should be independently verified. This is not medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional before making health decisions.

Description: METHIONINE — amino acid, part of the skin natural moisturizing factor (NMF), antioxidant support.

All Functions: amino acid, part of the skin natural moisturizing factor (NMF), antioxidant support

Quick Facts:

  • Category: humectant

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

  • Methionine is an essential amino acid used in food, feed, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals
  • Most methionine is currently produced through chemical synthesis rather than natural fermentation
  • Methionine metabolites are involved in wound healing and metabolic processes
  • Zinc methionine may offer better absorption than other forms of zinc
Safety: Generally Low ConcernResearch confidence: Good

Safety tier is a starting heuristic from regulatory status and comedogenic rating, not a dermatological verdict — see our Terms for the full disclaimer. Research confidence reflects how many real cited studies back this ingredient, not the strength of their findings.

🧪 METHIONINE

Chemical structure of METHIONINE

METHIONINE

CAS Number: 59-51-8

Also Known As:

Category: humectant

EC Number: 200-432-1

Korean Name: 메티오닌

DL-methionine

METHIONINE is a humectant ingredient used in skincare formulations.

amino acidpart of the skin natural moisturizing factor (NMF)antioxidant support

🌍 Regulatory Status

EU: No restriction on fileUS: No restriction on file

📊 Comedogenicity

No data yet
Not rated for this ingredient yet.

📚 Research & Evidence

PUBMED CITATIONS
5
Data sources: EU CosIng PubMed

🔬 The Science

Methionine is an essential amino acid, meaning your body cannot make it on its own and must obtain it from food or supplements (Biotechnol Adv, 2023). Currently, most methionine production relies on chemical synthesis, though researchers are exploring more sustainable microbial fermentation methods as an alternative. From a biochemistry perspective, methionine plays several interesting roles in your body. When you consume methionine, your body converts it into important molecules like S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) and S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), which participate in various metabolic reactions (J Intensive Care Med, 2018). Research has identified that #1: methionine salvage pathways—the biochemical “recycling” routes for methionine metabolites—show measurable changes during wound healing, particularly in deeper burn wounds treated with acellular fish skin grafts (Antioxidants (Basel), 2023).

One emerging application involves pairing methionine with zinc. Because #2: zinc methionine may have superior bioavailability compared to other zinc forms, it’s being studied as a potential dietary supplement, given zinc’s known roles in antioxidant function, immune support, and skin and connective tissue repair (Biofactors, 2006). It’s worth noting that the research on methionine’s skincare benefits specifically is limited in these sources. The wound-healing data comes from burn models and surgical contexts rather than topical skincare applications. More targeted research would be needed to establish clear consumer-facing skincare claims beyond methionine’s general roles in tissue metabolism and repair.

💧 Skin Type Compatibility

No data yet
Per-skin-type data isn’t curated for this ingredient yet.

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

No data yet
No known incompatibilities on file for this ingredient.

🧴 Products Containing METHIONINE

📄 Related Research

Matched by search — not necessarily verified support for every statement above.

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