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PANTHENOL

Last update on Mar 3, 2026

Panthenol is an alcohol analog of pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5), and thus a provitamin of B5. It is an odorless, transparent, highly viscous, and colorless liquid at room temperature. It is used as a moisturizer and humectant in cosmetics and personal care products. Panthenol is found in lotions, ointments, nasal sprays, eye drops, cleaning solutions for contact lenses, etc. Panthenol comes in two enantiomers: D, and L. Only D-panthenol (dexpanthenol) is biologically active. For cosmetic use, panthenol comes either in D form or as a racemic mixture of D and L (DL-panthenol).

CAS Number: 81-13-0 / 16485-10-2Chem/IUPAC Name: Butanamide, 2,4-dihydroxy-N-(3-hydroxypropyl)-3,3-dimethyl-, (2R)-; dl-Panthenol EINECS/ELINCS No: 201-327-3 / 240-540-6COSING REF No: 35839

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What is PANTHENOL used for?

Panthenol is used as a moisturizer, soothing and softening agent.

  • Skin care: It improves hydration and elasticity of the skin, reduces itching and inflammation of the skin, improves skin elasticity, and accelerates the rate of healing of wounds. In topical creams, it is found to be in a concentration of 1-5%
  • Hair care: It binds to the hair shaft readily, so, it is a common component of commercial shampoos and hair conditioners (in concentrations of 0.1-1%). It coats the hair and seals its surface, lubricating the hair shaft and giving it a shiny appearance. It can also help protect your hair from styling or environmental damage by locking in moisture

Origin

Panthenol is produced synthetically by condensing D-pantolactone with 3-aminopropanol, yielding D-panthenol (biologically active form). Cosmetic-grade panthenol is highly purified (>98%) and typically supplied as a viscous liquid (75-100% active) or powder (DL-panthenol, racemic mixture). It is identical to the form naturally present in the body and widely accepted in natural, organic, and sensitive-skin formulations.

What does PANTHENOL do in a formulation?

HAIR CONDITIONING|
HUMECTANT|
SKIN CONDITIONING|
SOOTHING

Safety Profile

Panthenol is generally well tolerated. In rare cases, skin irritation and contact allergies have been reported. Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Commission on Cosmetic Ingredients have approved panthenol for use in cosmetics. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) classifies panthenol as "possibly safe" for general topical applications and nasal sprays.

PANTHENOL alternatives

PANTHENOL technical profile

PropertyValues
Boiling Point118-120°C
Melting Point66-69°C
SolubilitySoluble in water, alcohol, chloroform, propylene glycol