Keratin

About Keratin

Keratin is the primary structural protein of hair, skin, and nails. Supplemental keratin is typically solubilized (enzymatically hydrolyzed) to preserve bioactive disulfide bonds and improve absorption. Cynatine HNS is the most clinically studied form — two small RCTs (12–16 weeks, 500 mg/day) showed reduced hair shedding, improved nail hardness, and enhanced skin smoothness vs placebo. Mechanism involves supplying cysteine-rich peptides as direct building blocks for keratinized tissues. Standard hydrolyzed keratin powders lack the controlled reduction process and may have lower bioactivity. No established RDA or UL.

What Keratin supports

• 💇Reduces hair shedding and supports hair strength
• 💅Improves nail hardness and reduces breakage
• ✨Supports skin smoothness and elasticity

How much Keratin to take

Clinical studies typically use 250–500 mg of Keratin. Clinical trials with Cynatine HNS use 500 mg/day. Most supplements provide 250–500 mg/day of solubilized keratin.

Effective range

250–500 mg

Forms of Keratin compared

• Cynatine HNS (solubilized)Premium
  Patented solubilized keratin; the only form with hair-growth RCT data (90 mg/day).
• Solubilized keratinPremium
  Smaller molecules pass the gut intact — superior to standard hydrolysis.
• Functional keratinPremium
  Mid-tier processed keratin; better absorbed than basic powder.
• Bioavailable keratinPremium
  Marketing label without specific processing standard — verify the source.
• Keratin peptidesStandard
  Hydrolyzed peptide form; modest absorption, less studied than Cynatine HNS.
• Hydrolyzed keratinBudget
  Standard hydrolysis may reduce bioactivity — partial absorption.
• Keratin powderBudget
  Unprocessed keratin, poorly absorbed

Clinical evidence

Limited clinical evidence. Only 2 small clinical trials (12-16 weeks each) on hair, nail, and skin outcomes