Can I use Ascorbic Acid with Ergothioneine?
Works well together
Ascorbic Acid and Ergothioneine are generally compatible and can be layered in the same routine. As always, introduce one new active at a time and watch how your skin responds.
Ascorbic AcidActive
- ✓Brightens
- ✓Boosts collagen
- ✓Antioxidant protection
- ⚠Unstable formula
- ⚠Can sting
- ⚠Sun sensitivity if unprotected
ErgothioneineAntioxidant
- ✓Ergothioneine (EGT) is a rare sulfur-containing amino acid synthesized exclusively by fungi (especially mushrooms), mycobacteria, and select cyanobacteria — not produced endogenously by humans but concentrated in high-metabolic-demand tissues via a specific transporter (OCTN1/SLC22A4)
- ✓Exceptionally potent antioxidant: directly quenches hydroxyl radicals, singlet oxygen, and hypochlorous acid, and protects mitochondrial DNA and membrane lipids from oxidative damage — demonstrably more stable and persistent in biological tissue than glutathione or ascorbic acid
- ✓Skin expresses the OCTN1 ergothioneine transporter at high levels — topically applied EGT is actively taken up into keratinocytes and fibroblasts, suggesting genuine cellular bioavailability beyond surface antioxidant activity; linked to DNA damage protection and anti-inflammatory signaling
