Pantothenic Acid for Skin: Benefits and How to Use

In the world of hydrating ingredients, there are a handful you hear about time after time and get all the buzz (we’re talking about you, hyaluronic acid). But allow us to introduce you to one of the unsung heroes of the bunch—panthenol. Also known as provitamin B5, it's found in a wide array of skincare, as well as makeup and haircare products, thanks to its excellent moisturizing qualities. It functions in several different ways, both as a humectant, attracting water to and holding it in the skin, as well as an emollient, smoothing and softening the skin.

While panthenol rarely earns a starring role in skincare, dermatologists agree that it's worth seeking out. Ahead, Denver-based plastic surgeon and skin expert Manish Shah, MD, and Suneel Chilukuri, MD, of Refresh Dermatology in Houston, TX, weigh in on exactly why and offer up all the other need-to-know details about this mega-moisturizing ingredient.

What Is Panthenol?

Panthenol is a common ingredient in wound healing therapies and can help treat minor skin injuries, burns, and sunburn. Shah explains, "Panthenol is the provitamin—a precursor, or substance that the body can convert into a specific vitamin—for B5."

In this case, when panthenol is applied topically, it’s quickly converted into vitamin B5, also known as pantothenic acid. “B5 binds to and holds water effectively, moisturizing the skin and helping it maintain softness and elasticity,” says Chilukuri. Unlike other common moisturizing ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, panthenol has the added advantage of acting as both a humectant and an emollient. Humectants attract to and bind water to the skin, while emollients seal in the cracks in the skin, keeping that water locked in.

These stand-out moisturizing abilities make it a prime ingredient not only for many skincare products, but also haircare and makeup, too. “Panthenol is found in many products for many different parts of the body and may already be in the products you’re using,” notes Shah. Seriously, do a quick scan of the staples in your daily regimen, and we're willing to bet panthenol is in at least a handful of them. It has a similar effect on hair as it does on skin, increasing both softness and shine; this is why it commonly pops up in many hair products, particularly conditioners and leave-ins. In makeup, it's used for those emollient and moisturizing qualities. (FYI, if you don't see panthenol on the ingredient label, look for any one of its other pseudonyms. Provitamin B5, butanamide, and d-pantothenyl alcohol are all the same thing.)

Panthenol also gets big points for being well-tolerated by most. According to Chilukuri, It has a GRAS rating (generally recognized as safe and effective), and it's an excellent choice for reducing irritation while also improving skin barrier function. Along with being a great moisturizer, it activates the production of cells that are essential for wound healing and skin barrier-strengthening, he adds. (As a quick reminder, the skin barrier is the outermost layer of the skin, playing an essential role in keeping toxins and irritants out and moisture locked in.)

Benefits of Panthenol For Skin

Alongside its top-notch hydrating benefits, panthenol also has some other noteworthy effects, particularly as it pertains to calming the skin and promoting wound healing.

• Improves moisture retention in the skin: Panthenol penetrates the lower skin layers and imbues water into the cells, retaining moisture deep within the tissue, says Shah.
• Prevents trans-epidermal water loss: Along with retaining moisture in the skin, it also helps stimulate cells that boost skin barrier function. A strong, healthy, intact barrier locks in moisture and keeps it from escaping.
• Helps with wound healing: Those same cells that boost skin barrier function are also important for wound healing, which is why panthenol is often used for minor skin injuries. Fun fact: According to Chilukuri, tattoo artists often recommend that their clients use a moisturizing cream with panthenol after getting a tattoo.
• Delivers anti-inflammatory benefits: “Panthenol has been shown to have an anti-inflammatory effect on UV-induced redness, which is why it’s often found in ointments used for sunburns,” says Chilukuri. Similarly, it can also help reduce itchiness for people dealing with dermatitis, adds Shah. 

Potential Side Effects

Most people tolerate Panthenol well, but as with any other ingredient, an allergy is always possible. If you’re concerned, you can always test a small amount elsewhere on your body before applying it all over your complexion.

Pantothenic Acid vs. Hyaluronic Acid

While pantothenic acid and hyaluronic acid both have "acid" in their name and are great for adding hydration, the two skincare ingredients do have a couple of differences. Panthenol is an emollient—meaning it holds and binds water—and a moisture-attracting humectant, while hyaluronic acid is just the latter. Pantothenic acid also has anti-inflammatory properties that hyaluronic acid does not have. To decide which one is right for you, it's best to speak with a trusted dermatologist and consider your specific skin care goals and concerns. You can even incorporate both ingredients into your routine to enjoy the combined benefits they offer. 

How to Use It

Panthenol is fairly innocuous in that it plays well with most other ingredients, so maximizing its efficacy has less to do with the other ingredients involved and more with how you use it. "It works well on freshly cleaned skin," says Shah, who advises washing your face and using a toner to remove excess dirt and grime, then following that up with a lotion or cream that contains panthenol.

How Often Can You Use Panthenol?

Because it's highly unlikely to cause irritation, using panthenol every day, or even multiple times a day, shouldn't pose any problems. Still, according to Shah, it's best to follow the directions for the particular product when determining how many times per day to use it.

"With five percent panthenol, this product does a great job of, again, moisturizing the deeper layers of the skin," says Shah. Here, it's mixed with bisabolol meant to soothe, making it choice for skin that's extra dry or compromised after a procedure like a peel or laser .

"Aging skin needs retinol, but aging skin is also more likely to be dry and dehydrated," says Chilukuri. This formula benefits from the addition of panthenol to soothe and hydrate, without detracting from the anti-aging effects of the retinol, he points out. It also helps reduce the likelihood of the potentially irksome side effects of retinol, namely redness, dryness, and flaking.

Chilukuri recommends panthenol in hydrating products such as this one, thanks to its ability to improve barrier function and increase moisture retention. Not only is this mask choice for quenching a parched complexion, both the panthenol and oat milk extract in the formula are ideal for helping to calm irritated skin. Leave it on for five to 10 minutes, once a week, to reap the benefits.

"This is incredibly hydrating because it mixes panthenol and aloe vera to prevent dryness in the surface layer of the skin," says Shah. While it doesn't have the the bells and whistles of serums with higher concentrations of panthenol, it's a subtle—and affordable—way of partaking in the benefits of the ingredient, he adds. Mist it on pre-makeup for a refreshing and smoothing boost that will improve the look and feel of your complexion, and the makeup you put on over it.

With "intense hydrating and skin smoothing effects," this is another one of Chilukuri's panthenol picks. Use it daily to not only keep skin plump and hydrated, but to also help ward off fine lines and wrinkles, thanks to the addition of collagen-boosting vitamin C and antioxidant-rich vitamin E.