What is it?
An extract of pineapple fruit, listed on labels under the name Ananas sativus; scientists usually call the pineapple Ananas comosus. Pineapple contains bromelain, a group of protein-digesting enzymes that is more concentrated in the plant’s stem than in the fruit. In cosmetics the extract is used as a skin-conditioning ingredient.
Key information
- Bromelain, the pineapple's protein-digesting enzyme, is found in both the stem and the fruit, with considerably more in the stem.
- Concentrated bromelain is potent enough that the FDA approved a prescription product in 2022 that uses it to remove dead tissue from severe burns.
- Bromelain (Ana c 2) and a profilin (Ana c 1) are recognized pineapple food allergens.
- We found no safety assessment of pineapple fruit extract by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review or the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety.
More information
Pineapple’s best-known active component is bromelain, a mix of cysteine proteases, enzymes that break down proteins. Scientists distinguish fruit bromelain from stem bromelain, which are produced differently and differ in their enzymes; the name originally referred to stem bromelain, and the stem contains considerably more of it than the fruit. How much active enzyme a cosmetic fruit extract contains depends on how it was made.
Concentrated bromelain is strong. In 2022 the FDA approved a prescription drug containing bromelain for removing dead tissue from severe burns in adults, applied by health professionals. Taken by mouth as a supplement, bromelain seems to be well tolerated, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health; the most commonly reported side effects are stomach upset and diarrhea.
The main safety question is allergy. Bromelain (Ana c 2) and a profilin (Ana c 1) are listed among recognized pineapple allergens, and cases of occupational allergy to bromelain have been described in people who handle the enzyme at work. We found no safety assessment of pineapple fruit extract by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) or the EU’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety, and no published reports of reactions to the extract in cosmetics.
On labels it appears as Ananas Sativus (Pineapple) Fruit Extract. People who know they are allergic to pineapple can use that name to spot it.
Sources: NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Bromelain; Foods (2021): Bromelain, a group of pineapple proteolytic complex enzymes (Ananas comosus) and their possible therapeutic and clinical effects; World Allergy Organization Journal (2015): The protease bromelain breaks oral tolerance and promotes sensitization in a murine model of pineapple anaphylaxis; Allergologie Select (2026): Allergens from plant-based food allergen sources and their clinical and diagnostic relevance
