Panthenol
INCI name: Panthenol
Purposes: Humectant, Skin-Conditioning Agent, Barrier Support
Pro-vitamin B5. Pulls water into the skin and supports barrier recovery, which is why a cleanser containing it does not leave skin feeling tight.
Panthenol is provitamin B5. Once absorbed, skin converts it to pantothenic acid, a component of coenzyme A, which sits at the centre of how cells build and repair lipids.
It does two useful things at once. As a humectant it binds water and holds it in the upper layers of skin. Separately, it supports the production of the lipids that make up the barrier itself. Most hydrating ingredients only do the first.
The clinical literature on panthenol is unusually solid for a cosmetic ingredient. It has been studied for wound healing, for reducing transepidermal water loss, and for calming irritation from surfactants and UV exposure. It is one of the few actives that dermatologists and formulators broadly agree on.
In a cleanser it is doing damage control. Any surfactant, however mild, disrupts the barrier temporarily. Panthenol shortens that recovery window, which is why skin feels comfortable rather than tight after washing.
It is also notably well tolerated. Panthenol is used in products for infants, for post-procedure skin, and for people with compromised barriers, which is about as strong a tolerability signal as an ingredient gets.
