- Derived from: rice
- Pronunciation: (\ˈpan(t)-thē-nōl\)
- Type: Naturally-derived
- Other names: Vitamin B5
What Is Panthenol?
Panthenol is a substance made from vitamin B5, which is also called pantothenic acid. Pantothenic acid is found in all living things.[1] Panthenol comes in two forms: D-panthenol, which is an oily substance, and DL-panthenol, which is a white powder.[2] Panthenol is used in thousands of personal care and cosmetic products, including baby lotion, bath products, eye makeup, fragrances, hair care products, nail care products, suntan lotion and other items.[3,4]
What Does Panthenol Do in Our products?
Panthenol is an emollient that makes products smoother and more spreadable. It is also a moisturizer that helps keep the skin soft and conditioned.[5] Studies show that formulations containing panthenol significantly decrease water loss through the skin and accelerate wound healing.[6,7]
Why Puracy Uses Panthenol
We use panthenol as a moisturizer in our products. The Cosmetics Ingredient Review has deemed panthenol safe for use in cosmetics, and Whole Foods has deemed the ingredient acceptable in its body care quality standards.[11] Studies show it is not a strong skin irritant or a sensitizer.[12,13,14,15,16,17,18]
How Panthenol Is Made
Pantothenic acid exists in all living cells and tissues. It is a component of coenzyme A, and it is involved in releasing energy from carbohydrates, as well as helping the body use fats and proteins, among other things.[8,9] It dissolves in water. The conventional manufacturing process of panthenol involves chemical condensation of synthetic R-pantolactone (α-hydroxy-β,β-dimethyl-γ-butyrolactone) with 3-aminopropanol.[10]
Certifications
Sources
[1] Oregon State University Linus Pauling Institute
[2] Cosmeticsinfo.org
[3] Personal Care Council
[4] Personal Care Council
[5] Cosmeticsinfo.org
[6] Camargo, F.B., Gaspar, L.R., and Maia Campos, P.M., “Skin moisturizing effects of panthenol-based formulations,” Journal of Cosmetic Science (2011)Jul-Aug; 62(4):361-70
[7] Miller J.W., Rucker R.B. Pantothenic acid. In: Erdman JWJ, Macdonald IA, Zeisel SH, eds. Present Knowledge in Nutrition. 10th ed. Ames: Wiley-Blackwell; 2012:375-390
[8] Personal Care Council
[9] National Institutes of Health
[10] Ferrandez, A. et al. "Process for the production of panthenol"
[11] Whole Foods Market
[12] Personal Care Council
[13] “Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Panthenol and Pantothenic Acid,” International Journal of Toxicology, January/February 1987 vol. 6 no. 1 139-162
[14] CTFA. (1983). Four-day minicumulative human skin irritation study with a product containing 0.5 percent Panthenol. CTFA Code No. 3-8-22
[15] Hill Top Research, Inc. (1983). Report of a human skin test of cumulative irritation. CTFA Code No. 3-8-4
[16] Leo Winter Associates, Inc. (1974). Human repeated insult patch testing of a cream containing 0.5 percent Panthenol. CTFA Code No. 3-8-12
[17] CTFA. (1983). Human repeated insult patch testing of a cream containing 0.5 percent Panthenol. CTFA Code No. 2-8-15
[18] CTFA. (1983). Human allergic contact sensitization testing of a product containing 0.5 percent Panthenol. CTFA Code No. 3-8-23
