Understanding Vitamin B5 for Skin: Benefits & How to Use
Vitamin B5, or panthenol, is a water-soluble moisturising nutrient widely used in a range of skincare products. Acting as both a humectant and emollient, this ingredient plays a role in the production of essential fats and proteins that make up the moisture barrier. When used in your skincare routine, vitamin B5 can help strengthen the moisture barrier, attract and seal in hydration and provide anti-ageing skin benefits. Read on to learn more about this skincare ingredient, how to add it to your routine and how it works with other ingredients.
What is vitamin B5?
Vitamin B5, also known as pantothenic acid, is an essential nutrient, meaning our bodies can't naturally produce it, that can only be obtained through diet or supplements. It plays a crucial role in several bodily functions. The topical derivative of vitamin B5, provitamin B5 or panthenol, is used to support the skin in retaining moisture, restoring the protective moisture barrier and comforting irritated skin.
What does vitamin B5 do?
When used on the skin, pantothenic acid acts as a moisturiser, emollient, humectant and skin-strengthening vitamin. All of these functions can be used to support oily, dry and mature skin types, but vitamin B5 skincare is especially beneficial to the unique concerns of sensitive skin types and those experiencing newfound irritation or sensitivity.
What are the skin benefits of vitamin B5?
There’s a reason provitamin B5 makes its way into so many beauty products – it’s a moisturising powerhouse that promotes soft, supple, comfortable skin. Combining easily with many ingredients, it works particularly well alongside other thirst quenchers such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin and ceramides.
- Skin hydration: Panthenol is able to attract and hold moisture in the skin for long lasting hydration. Its ability to fill the gaps between dead skin cells means it also helps to soften the skin, keep it moist and flexible, and prevent dryness.
- Supports skin moisture barrier: Supporting the skin moisture barrier function through dual-hydration, panthenol is known to reduce trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) while helping to reduce discomfort.
- Comforts and soothes sensitive skin: Vitamin B5 is often found in after-sun lotions and post-tattoo creams, as well as products for minor skin irritations or redness.
- Helps with dry skin concerns: Vitamin B5’s hydrating properties helps minimise dry skin concerns including visible skin flakes, irritation and tightness.
- Minimises fine lines and wrinkles: Similarly, vitamin B5 helps to fill in fine lines and wrinkles that can be exacerbated by a compromised moisture barrier.
- Dual hydration: Vitamin B5 has the unique advantage of being both a humectant and an emollient. This means that it can draw water in from air and other potent ingredients, before sealing that moisture into skin cell cracks.
- Reduces redness: Pantothenic acid also skin-comforting properties that help minimise the appearance of facial redness and discomfort, and help alleviate skin irritation.
WHO SHOULD USE PANTHENOL?
Many individuals can benefit from the use of vitamin B5 in their skincare routine. Moisturising, comforting and strengthening, panthenol is a versatile ingredient suited to use by most skin types, but is especially beneficial to dry or sensitive skin prone to irritation.
What ingredients work well with vitamin B5?
Vitamin B5, or panthenol, plays well with a number of skincare ingredients to enhance their skin benefits. It can be used to deeply nourish the skin by combining with hyaluronic acid or niacinamide, or to minimise the skin-drying effects of other stronger ingredients, like retinol and vitamin C.
Hyaluronic acid
Both hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5 are powerful humectants, meaning they attract and retain moisture. Hyaluronic acid pulls moisture from the environment, while vitamin B5 helps to lock it into the skin and strengthen the skin barrier to prevent moisture loss (TEWL). Hydrating serums and moisturisers can be formulated with both HA and vitamin B5 for powerful skin hydration and to address dry skin concerns like skin texture, itching sensations and visible skin flakes.
Glycerin
Glycerin is another humectant that plays well with vitamin B5, providing deep hydration and strengthening the moisture barrier to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Ceramides
Vitamin B5 supports the skin moisture barrier while ceramides provide the necessary building blocks for a strong, healthy-looking skin, leading to enhanced protection against environmental aggressors . They also help to reduce irritation and sensitivity, for a softer, more resilient skin.
Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)
Both niacinamide and panthenol are multi-tasking ingredients. Niacinamide helps to manage excess oil, visibly improve pore size and fade dark spots. Vitamin B5 helps comfort and hydrate the skin for stronger, healthy-looking skin. Together, they support the skin's natural moisture balance and address redness, irritation, uneven skin tone and texture, and excess oil production, making it great for blemish-prone or oily skin.
Retinol
Retinol is a helpful anti-ageing ingredient that promotes collagen production and skin cell turnover, but can be irritating, causing dryness, redness, and peeling, particularly when first introduced to your skincare routine. Vitamin B5's soothing and hydrating properties can help to mitigate these retinol side effects, keeping the skin hydrated for better anti-ageing benefits.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect the skin from free radical damage that can compromise the protective moisture barrier and cause photoageing. Vitamin B5 can support the skin's natural moisture barrier function to improve the skin benefits of a topical vitamin C, helping to improve skin tone, texture and the skin’s overall condition.
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PANTHENOL & LA ROCHE-POSAY: OUR PRODUCTS FOR HYDRATION & NOURISHMENT
Hyalu B5 Serum
Ideal for daily use in most types of sensitive skin, from normal to dry, Hyalu B5 Serum combines moisture-binding hyaluronic acid with panthenol and madecassoside for superior hydrating and soothing activity. With a fresh, water-gel formula, it helps to replenish, re-plump and smooth the skin. For additional hydration and comfort, it can be followed with the Hyalu B5 Moisturiser.
Hyalu B5 Anti-Ageing Moisturiser
The Hyalu B5 Hyaluronic Acid Anti-Ageing Moisturiser is formulated with a duo of hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5 to hydrate and re-plumo the skin. Deeply hydrated, skin immediately regains its bounce, and fine lines and wrinkles are visibly reduced. This formula is specifically designed for sensitive skin to target wrinkles, loss of volume and skin elasticity.
Cicaplast Baume B5
Providing intense hydration and nourishment to the face and body, Cicaplast Baume B5+ Cream is a multi-use balm, formulated with 5% panthenol and soothing madecassoside. Dermatologically tested and fragrance-free for sensitive skin, it can be used as needed to visibly relieve dryness in infants through to adults.
Cicaplast B5 Mask
For dry or dehydrated sensitive skin in need of a pampering treat, the new Cicaplast B5 Mask comforts and replenishes with Provitamin B5. Made with 100% biodegradable cotton, the hydrating sheet mask is also infused with prebiotic, antioxidant La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water and madecassoside for enhanced skin hydration and renewal.
Cicaplast B5 Serum
The La Roche Posay Cicaplast B5 Serum contains 10% vitamin B5 to effectively hydrate and comfort dry and very dry skin. When use daily, this dry skin serum helps restore hydration to strengthen the protective moisture barrier and minimise transepidermal water loss. This serum also contains HEPES to help with skin cell renewal for smoother, softer skin.
References
1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/pantothenic-acid
2.https://www.healthline.com/health/emollient
3. https://www.eczema.org.au/emollients
Other sources
Camargo FB Jr, Gaspar LR, Maia Campos PM. Skin moisturizing effects of panthenol-based formulations. J Cosmet Sci. 2011 Jul-Aug;62(4):361-70. PMID: 21982351.
Ebner F, Heller A, Rippke F, Tausch I. Topical use of dexpanthenol in skin disorders. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2002;3(6):427-33. doi: 10.2165/00128071-200203060-00005. PMID: 12113650.
Mount Sinai: Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)
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