Today we answer the question: what is panthenol and what does it do for my skin?
Panthenol, also known as pro-Vitamin B5, has a number of benefits once absorbed into the skin. It's a good humectant, like hyaluronic acid. It also helps to fortify your skin barrier to keep your skin supple. And on top of all that, it's a very good anti-inflammatory as well.
When you're looking for skincare products with panthenol in it, at Maelove, we recommend a 1% concentration of panthenol or more.
If you're new here, my name is Jackie and I'm the CEO and Chief Product Obsessor here at Maelove.
How is panthenol good for hair?
When you hear about panthenol, you might think of your hair before your skin. And that's because panthenol is used in a lot of hair conditioners. It binds to the hair shaft and lubricates it, making the hair stronger and thicker. One study indicates it also helps grow hair by stimulating the growth phase in hair follicle cells (Shin et al. 2021).
The cells that make up the hair shaft are produced in the hair follicles located in the dermal layer of your skin. Cells in the hair follicles are alive and responsible for the growth of hair — this part of hair in the skin is called the hair root — whereas cells in the hair shaft are outside of the skin. Cells in the hair shaft are dead, as cells cannot live without the blood supply from the skin. These cells are mostly full of keratin.
When you hear "pro-something" in biology, think of it as a precursor. Pro-vitamin B5 means a precursor to Vitamin B5 — and that's exactly what panthenol is. Once absorbed, the skin converts it enzymatically into pantothenic acid.
How is panthenol good for skin?
What is lesser known, perhaps, is that panthenol has been used for over 70 years to treat skin conditions in people of all ages and with various skin types. So panthenol isn't just good for your hair — it's also excellent for your skin!
Panthenol vs. pantothenic acid
So, what exactly is panthenol? Panthenol is an alcohol form of pantothenic acid, which is Vitamin B5.
More specifically, a form of panthenol called D-panthenol or dexpanthenol is typically used in skincare. The INCI name for dexpanthenol is simply "panthenol," which is what you'll see on ingredient labels. Panthenol is also known as pantothenol and pantothenyl alcohol — you may encounter these terms when looking up panthenol in scientific papers.
"Alcohols" in skincare
I had mentioned that panthenol is an alcohol form of pantothenic acid — and that might raise an eyebrow.
When you think of alcohol, you may think of the ethanol in beverages or the isopropyl alcohol in hand sanitizer. However, the chemical definition of alcohol is different from what people generally call alcohol. Chemically, it simply means you have a hydroxyl group bound to a carbon atom — and a ton of substances you would never associate with "alcohol" technically qualify.
Some alcohols like cetyl alcohol are waxy solids at room temperature, while panthenol is a thick liquid. When you see "something alcohol" on an ingredient label, it may be waxy and viscous — not the drying, evaporating kind of alcohol you're familiar with in everyday life.
How does panthenol work?
Panthenol is a humectant, emollient, and moisturizer that can penetrate the skin and hair to provide hydration and nourishment. Once panthenol is absorbed into the skin, it is rapidly converted enzymatically into pantothenic acid.
While pantothenic acid is the actual form of Vitamin B5, panthenol is much preferable as a topical ingredient — it penetrates the skin better and is more stable at room temperature (CIR 2017, Proksch et al. 2017). That's why in skin and haircare you see pro-vitamin B5 instead of Vitamin B5.
Panthenol's anti-inflammatory action, combined with its ability to hydrate the skin and repair the skin barrier, may be why it is so effective in reducing redness and irritation. And thankfully, it is well-tolerated by those with sensitive skin (Nisbet et al. 2019) and even by infants (Stettler et al. 2017).
What to look for
How much panthenol is enough? A study by Camargo and colleagues (2011) tested concentrations of 0%, 0.5%, 1%, and 5% panthenol. The findings were clear:
"Concentrations of pro-vitamin also influenced the improvement of skin barrier function. One percent panthenol added to the basic formulation tested was sufficient to show efficacy in this parameter." — Camargo et al. 2011
1% panthenol or higher had a significant hydrating benefit on the skin, whereas lower concentrations did not. So I would recommend looking for 1% or more panthenol in the products you use.
- Camargo FB, Gaspar LR, Maia Campos PMBG (2011). "Skin moisturizing effects of panthenol-based formulations." J Cosmet Sci 62: 361–369.
- Cosmetic Ingredient Review (2017). "Safety Assessment of Panthenol, Pantothenic Acid, and Derivatives Used in Cosmetics."
- Loden M (2014). "Hydrating Substances." In Barel AO, Paye M, Maibach HI (Eds). Handbook of Cosmetic Science and Technology (4th ed., pp 347–360). Boca Raton: CRC Press.
- Nisbet SJ, Targett D, Rawlings AV, Qian K, Wang X, Lin CB, Thompson MA, Bulsara PA, Moore DJ (2019). "Clinical and in vitro evaluation of new anti-redness cosmetic products in subjects with winter xerosis and sensitive skin." Int J Cosmet Sci 41: 534–547.
- Proksch E, de Bony R, Trapp S, Boudon S (2017). "Topical use of dexpanthenol: a 70th anniversary article." J Dermatol Treatment 28(8): 766–773.
- Scott LN, Fiume M, Bergfield WF, Belsito DV, Hill RA, Klaassen CD, Liebler DC, Marks Jr JG, Shank RC, Slaga TJ, Snyder PW, Heldreth B (2022). "Safety Assessment of Panthenol, Pantothenic Acid, and Derivatives as Used in Cosmetics." Int J Toxicol 41(3_suppl): 77–128.
- Shin JY, Kim J, Choi YH, Kang NG, Lee S (2021). "Dexpanthenol Promotes Cell Growth by Preventing Cell Senescence and Apoptosis in Cultured Human Hair Follicle Cells." Curr Issues Mol Biol 43: 1361–1373.
- Stettler H, Kurka P, Wagner C, Sznurkowka K, Czernicka O, Bohling A, Bielfeldt S, Wilhelm KP, Lenz H (2017). "A new topical panthenol-containing emollient: skin-moisturizing effect following single and prolonged usage in healthy adults, and tolerability in healthy infants." J Dermatol Treatment 28(3): 251–257.
