Why Panthenol Deserves a Spot in Your Skincare Routine

Many skincare buffs know their humectants from their hyaluronic acid, but a hydration-boosting ingredient that’s often overlooked when it comes to our skincare routines is panthenol. It’s packed with hydrating, soothing and healing properties that make it an excellent addition to any routine, whether your skin is sensitive, dry, oily or combination. [1]

What is Panthenol?

Panthenol is a precursor to Vitamin B5 [2]. This means that when it makes contact with the skin it converts into pantothenic acid, which promotes the production of lipids that are essential for the skin barrier to function at its best. [3] It’s often used in skin and haircare products because it’s so good at absorbing and locking in moisture.

Who Should Use Panthenol?

In short, anyone and everyone. Pantothenic acid already exists in our skin, making the ingredient suitable for all skin types. It’s particularly helpful for those with dry, sensitive, or irritated skin because of its healing, hydrating and soothing qualities, and its ability to support the skin barrier. This makes it a great choice for those who want to soothe and heal irritation, sensitivity or sun damage.

Panthenol also works wonders for people with combination or oily skin who want to add extra hydration into their routine, because it helps the skin maintain a good balance between hydration and sebum (oil). This balance plays an important role in protecting and preserving the skin barrier.

Benefits of Panthenol

Panthenol offers many benefits, making it a hardworking addition to your routine. Look out for it on the ingredients list in creams, lotions serums and ointments designed for dry, sensitive skin.

1. Hydration: Panthenol acts as a humectant, drawing moisture from the air in your environment into the skin. By binding water to the skin, it helps maintain hydration, leaving your skin soft, smooth and supple. [4]

2. Skin barrier support: A healthy skin barrier protects the skin against environmental aggressors and seals in moisture. Panthenol strengthens the barrier by encouraging the regeneration of skin cells and locking in moisture. [3]

3. Soothing: If your skin is irritated or inflamed, panthenol can provide much-needed relief. Its anti-inflammatory properties help calm redness, itchiness and sensitivity, making it a great option for people who suffer from eczema, rosacea, or sensitive skin. [5]

4. Healing: Panthenol speeds up the skin’s natural recovery process, supporting the healing of minor wounds, cuts and sunburn by stimulating cell regeneration and tissue repair. [6]

5. Anti-ageing: By keeping the skin well hydrated and supporting its natural repair functions, panthenol can help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, which are often more prominent in dehydrated skin. [7] Over time, using panthenol can help plump and brighten the complexion.

How to Add Panthenol to Your Skincare Routine

Panthenol isn’t a harsh ingredient, [4] so it’s suitable for almost everyone and can be easily incorporated into your routine. If you have extremely sensitive skin, though, any new ingredient should be introduced gradually. If you notice any irritation or unwanted reactions, stop using it and ask a dermatology expert for advice.

If you’re a Dermatica subscriber, you can contact one of our dermatology experts via your dashboard to talk about how panthenol could work for your skin type.

What are the Best Skincare Products with Panthenol?

Because panthenol isn’t associated with irritation, [4] it can be combined with almost any skincare ingredient. Panthenol is a key ingredient in our SmartBase, which is used in all our personalised skincare formulas. This hydrating cream helps your skin retain essential moisture, without clogging pores. It also enhances skin barrier function and helps make sure the active ingredients in your personalised formula penetrate the skin without triggering irritation.

Our Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid + Vit B5 Serum has been formulated to deliver instant, intense hydration for plump, healthy-looking skin. If you’re looking to clarify and brighten the complexion, our Clarifying Azelaic Acid Cream is gentle enough for daily use, even if you have sensitive skin. Or for a powerhouse product that provides a month’s worth of daily antioxidant protection, shielding the skin from UV and free radical damage, try our Vitamin C 15%: Fresh Batch Ascorbic Acid.

When to Use Panthenol

For Extra Moisture: Look for panthenol as an ingredient in creams, lotions and serums. Apply these products after cleansing, toning and lighter serums but before heavier creams or lotions.

After Sun Exposure: You should always use sunscreen (even on a cloudy day). We recommend using a broad-spectrum SPF30+ to protect your skin from the risk of cancers, early ageing, dark spots and sun damage. If you have caught the sun, panthenol’s healing, hydrating and repairing properties can help soothe damage or inflammation. [8]

With Other Skincare Ingredients: Panthenol pairs well with ingredients like hyaluronic acid (for a hydration boost) or ceramides (for skin barrier repair and support). It can usually be incorporated into your routine without any issues or irritation.

For Sensitive Skin: Because of its gentle and non-irritating nature, panthenol is safe for use on almost all skin types, including acne-prone and sensitive skin. Just make sure the formula you’re using doesn’t include any irritating ingredients such as fragrance or essential oils.

Using Panthenol and Retinoids

Because it’s moisturising, healing and non-irritating, panthenol is an excellent ingredient to pair with retinoids. Many people find their skin becomes irritated or sensitive when they first start using retinoids, but applying a gentle moisturiser or serum with panthenol before and after you apply retinol can soothe the transition. [9] This is often called the Sandwich Method.

Our Nourishing Ceramide + Peptide Moisturiser and Soothing Centella Gel Moisturiser are ideal products for this method, and both contain panthenol.

At Dermatica, thousands of our subscribers and customers have seen benefits from using panthenol to nourish their skin. And subscribers can reach out to our experts from their Dermatica dashboard to ask questions about ingredients like panthenol, or any products they’re using, for personalised advice.

If you need support with your skin, our dermatology experts can help. We’ll analyse your skin, then create a treatment plan and personalised skincare formula with powerful ingredients to get you dermatology-level results, without the guesswork.
Find out what formulas are best suited to your skin by visiting our website.

References:
1. Stettler H, Kurka P, Wagner C, Sznurkowska K, Czernicka O, Böhling A, et al. A new topical panthenol-containing emollient: skin-moisturizing effect following single and prolonged usage in healthy adults, and tolerability in healthy infants. Journal of Dermatological Treatment. 2016 Aug 22;28(3):251–7.
2‌. Sanvictores T, Chauhan S. Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) [Internet]. PubMed. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK563233/
3. Stettler H, Kurka P, Lunau N, Manger C, Böhling A, Bielfeldt S, et al. A new topical panthenol-containing emollient: Results from two randomized controlled studies assessing its skin moisturization and barrier restoration potential, and the effect on skin microflora. Journal of Dermatological Treatment. 2016 Aug 2;28(2):173–80.
‌Panthenol: Uses, safety, and risks [Internet]. www.medicalnewstoday.com. 2022. Available from: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/panthenol#summary
‌PubChem. Panthenol [Internet]. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Available from: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/PANTHENOL
4‌. Gorski J, Proksch E, Baron JM, Schmid D, Zhang L. Dexpanthenol in Wound Healing after Medical and Cosmetic Interventions (Postprocedure Wound Healing). Pharmaceuticals. 2020 Jun 29;13(7):138.
‌5. Surjanto, J. Reveny, J. Tanuwijaya, A. Tias, Calson. Comparison of anti-aging effect between vitamin B3 and provitamin B5 using skin analyzer. 2016 Jan 1;9(7):99–104. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306978199_Comparison_of_anti-aging_effect_between_vitamin_B3_and_provitamin_B5_using_skin_analyzer
6‌. Scott LN, Fiume M, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, Hill RA, Klaassen CD, et al. Safety Assessment of Panthenol, Pantothenic Acid, and Derivatives as Used in Cosmetics. International Journal of Toxicology. 2022 Sep 30;41(3_suppl):77–128.
‌7. Draelos ZD, Ertel KD, Berge CA. Facilitating facial retinization through barrier improvement. Cutis [Internet]. 2006 Oct 1;78(4):275–81. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17121065/