Ingredient profile

Soothing humectant · best used AM or PM

• Panthenol sits happily next to retinol.

1

Mixes freely1

Needs timing0

Needs care0

Not together0

What it does

Panthenol (dexpanthenol, pro-vitamin B5) is a humectant that the skin converts to pantothenic acid. It draws water into the outer skin, supports barrier repair and calms irritation, which is why it is a staple of barrier creams and after-procedure balms.^[1]

Strengths

• A review of about 70 years of use describes moisturizing and barrier-enhancing effects and reduced skin irritation.^[1]
• It is widely used to help skin heal after cosmetic and medical procedures.^[2]
• It is very well tolerated and fits almost any routine.^[2]
• Skin converts panthenol into pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), a building block of coenzyme A, which cells need to make lipids for the barrier.^[2]
• Over-the-counter creams, gels and balms typically use it at 1 to 5%.^[2]

Who it suits

Dry, sensitive or irritated skin, retinoid and acid users who need a calming step, and skin recovering from procedures.

Who should skip

Rare allergy is possible, as with any ingredient.^[2]

How to start

Use panthenol morning and night in a serum, moisturizer or balm. It pairs well with retinoids, acids and benzoyl peroxide because it adds comfort rather than irritation: apply the active first, then a panthenol cream.

A thicker panthenol balm is useful on dry patches around the nose and mouth or on chapped skin. In the morning it sits comfortably under sunscreen.

Common questions: Is panthenol the same as vitamin B5? It turns into vitamin B5 in the skin.

Does it help acne? Not directly, but it can make acne treatments easier to tolerate.

Can I use it every day? Yes.

Which panthenol products to buy

Verified listings whose published ingredient lists carry panthenol and none of the actives that clash with it. Each product page shows what else it mixes with.

Pairing grid

In tracked products

4 of the 144 products we track list panthenol as a key active; In their ingredient lists it sits at a median position of #6, from #5 in Hyalu B5 Serum to #9 in Cicaplast Gel B5; It is among the first five ingredients in 1 of them, meaning a main ingredient rather than a trace; The actives it most often shares a bottle with: hyaluronic acid (2); Water is the first ingredient in 4 of them; the rest are oil, silicone or solvent-based. Product by product: Hyalu B5 Serum lists it at #5 of 20; Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 lists it at #6 of 17; Cicaplast Baume B5 lists it at #6 of 33; Cicaplast Gel B5 lists it at #9 of 15.

All tracked products with panthenol

Sources

Products with panthenol, in pairs

• The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalane + The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5Yes
• The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% + The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5Yes
• Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1% + The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5Yes
• The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 + The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%Yes
• The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 + The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% SolutionYes
• The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 + The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% + HAYes
• The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 + The Ordinary Retinol 1% in SqualaneYes