Panthenol guide: provitamin B5 for wound healing, barrier repair, and hydration

Panthenol (also called dexpanthenol or provitamin B5) is one of the most widely used and well-tolerated cosmetic ingredients — found in moisturizers, wound healing products, post-procedure care, and hair conditioners. Its excellent safety profile and genuine evidence for barrier support and wound healing make it a foundation ingredient in barrier-repair formulations. Here is the complete guide.

What panthenol is and how it works in skin

Conversion to pantothenic acid

Panthenol is the alcohol form of pantothenic acid (vitamin B5). When applied topically, panthenol is oxidized by skin enzymes to pantothenic acid — the biologically active form.

Pantothenic acid is then incorporated into Coenzyme A (CoA) synthesis — CoA is essential for:
Fatty acid synthesis and elongation (relevant to ceramide and barrier lipid production)
Acetyl-CoA in the TCA cycle (cellular energy)
Acetylation reactions in cell metabolism

In the context of skin, pantothenic acid → CoA → fatty acid synthesis supports:
Ceramide and free fatty acid production in keratinocytes (barrier lipid component)
Cell proliferation during wound healing (CoA-dependent reactions)
Fibroblast activity in dermis repair

Humectant activity

Panthenol is also a humectant — it attracts and binds water in the stratum corneum through its hydroxyl groups, increasing skin hydration independent of its CoA-mediated metabolic effects. This dual action (metabolic substrate + direct humectancy) makes panthenol more broadly functional than a pure humectant like hyaluronic acid.

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Evidence

Wound healing: Wollina et al. and supporting studies

*Wollina U, Kubicki J. (1999). The role of D-panthenol in wound healing. Wund Forum, 3, 14–19* (and related Hebra 1872 historical use documentation):

Multiple clinical studies confirm dexpanthenol (topical panthenol):
Accelerates epithelial wound closure — increases keratinocyte proliferation and migration into the wound gap
Reduces wound inflammation — decreases inflammatory cytokine production in the wound environment
Improves wound tensile strength — healed tissue with panthenol treatment shows better structural integrity

The mechanism: Faster CoA availability → faster fatty acid synthesis → faster membrane synthesis → faster cell proliferation in the healing epidermis.

Barrier repair: Ebner et al. 2002

*Ebner F, Heller A, Rippke F, Tausch I. (2002). Topical use of dexpanthenol in skin disorders. American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 3(6), 427–433.*

Review of clinical evidence for topical dexpanthenol:
Significant reduction in TEWL vs. control in dry and barrier-compromised skin
Improved skin moisture and reduced roughness and scaling
Reduced irritation and pruritus in sensitive skin
Compatible with all skin types including neonatal and atopic skin

Atopic dermatitis and sensitive skin

Panthenol 5% cream applied twice daily in atopic dermatitis patients:
Reduces TEWL significantly vs. plain emollient
Reduces pruritus and scaling scores
Used as a safe emollient in pediatric eczema (suitable from birth)

The excellent tolerability profile (essentially no allergic contact dermatitis reported) and lack of fragrance, preservative issues, or photosensitization make panthenol one of the safest ingredients for pediatric and sensitive skin use.

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Anti-inflammatory activity

Mechanism beyond barrier repair

Pantothenic acid and panthenol have direct anti-inflammatory effects independent of barrier repair:
Inhibit NF-κB activation and reduce TNF-α and IL-6 production in keratinocytes
Reduce UV-induced erythema in photoexposed skin
Reduce skin irritation scores when applied before, during, or after irritant exposure (SLS patch testing, retinoid use)

Clinical relevance: Panthenol is used as a retinoid-irritation mitigation ingredient — applying panthenol before and/or after tretinoin significantly reduces the redness and stinging of retinoid initiation. The anti-inflammatory and barrier-support mechanisms complement each other.

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Panthenol in hair care

Cortex penetration

Panthenol's relatively small size (205 Da) allows it to penetrate the hair cuticle into the cortex — where it:
Binds to keratin proteins, increasing hair thickness (cosmetically)
Improves hair tensile strength and reduces breakage
Adds moisture to the cortex, reducing brittleness

Hair products label panthenol as a conditioning, strengthening, and moisture-retention ingredient. It is one of the few cosmetic hair ingredients with evidence for cortex penetration and genuine structural benefit.

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Concentration and formulation

Effective topical concentration: 0.5–5% in leave-on products. Most moisturizers and barrier creams use 1–5%. Wound healing applications often use higher concentrations (5% dexpanthenol in Bepanthen/Bepanthol cream — the reference dexpanthenol wound care formulation widely used in Europe).

Forms:
D-panthenol (dexpanthenol): The biologically active D-isomer — the form in skincare
DL-panthenol: Racemic mixture — cheaper, still functional (D-form provides benefit; L-form is inert but not harmful)
Pantothenic acid: The acid form, less stable in formulation than panthenol; panthenol preferred

Stability: Panthenol is highly stable — not sensitive to oxygen, light, or pH extremes in the 4–8 range. Shelf life of properly formulated products is 2+ years without special packaging.

Compatibility: Compatible with all skincare actives (retinoids, AHAs, vitamin C, niacinamide, ceramides). No known interactions.

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Post-procedure and pregnancy

Post-procedure: Panthenol 5% cream (Bepanthen or equivalent) is the standard wound care recommendation after laser resurfacing, chemical peels, microneedling, and cosmetic tattooing in many European protocols — the wound healing and barrier repair evidence directly supports this use.

Pregnancy: Panthenol is one of the safest cosmetic ingredients for use during pregnancy — it is a vitamin B5 precursor with no systemic toxicity concern at topical concentrations, no teratogenicity, and documented safety in neonates. It is a preferred moisturizing active for pregnant patients avoiding retinoids and AHAs.

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