
UNESCO-listed Tomioka Silk Mill (Gunma) anchors Japan's heritage sericulture; remaining producers focus on high-purity sericin for cosmetic and biomedical applications.
Molecular weight typically 5,000-50,000 Da depending on extraction; serine content ~30% of amino acid profile.
Premium moisturisers, hair-conditioning serums, biomedical wound dressings.
Water-soluble silk protein extracted from the cocoon of Bombyx mori silkworms. Historically a by-product of fibroin (fiber-grade silk) extraction, sericin's high serine content (~30%) gives it strong film-forming and humectant properties for skincare formulations. Japan's silk industry — concentrated in Gunma, Nagano, and Saitama — has rebuilt around high-grade sericin production since the 2000s, using cocoons from JA Silk and small remaining sericulture cooperatives. Used in moisturisers, hair-care, and increasingly in injectable/wound-care medical applications.
| 日本 | JSCI listed (シルクセリシン); MHLW cosmetic ingredient |
|---|---|
| 欧盟 | CosIng listed (Sericin); EU cosmetic regulation 1223/2009 compliant |
| 美国 | Acceptable for cosmetics under MoCRA; MoCRA registration required |
| 中国 | NMPA cosmetic ingredient; verify IECIC inclusion |