What does Panthenol (B5) do?#
Panthenol (pro-vitamin B5) is a soothing humectant that attracts and holds moisture while helping the skin look and feel calmer. It is well-researched for promoting a healthier-looking, more comfortable skin surface.
- Attracts moisture and helps maintain hydration in the skin's outer layers
- Helps soothe and calm the appearance of redness and irritation
- Supports the look and feel of the skin's moisture barrier for improved moisture retention and comfort
How it works
Panthenol is a hygroscopic (moisture-attracting) ingredient that draws water into the skin's outer layers and helps it stay there, keeping skin feeling hydrated and comfortable. It also helps promote a calmer, less irritated-looking skin surface. Well-researched as a skin-conditioning agent, panthenol contributes to a smoother, softer feel and supports a healthier-looking moisture barrier over time.
How to use Panthenol (B5)#
- Every day. There is nothing to ease into.
- In routine order: a toner goes on straight after cleansing, a serum after that, a cream last.
- Across the whole face, including around the eyes.
- It sits comfortably between your other steps and does not need an evening of its own.
- A useful step after anything that leaves skin feeling stressed — cleansing, shaving, weather, or a strong active the night before.
- Stop using it if your skin gets itchy, red or bumpy over several days of use instead of calmer. That is uncommon, but it is a reaction rather than an adjustment, and it will not settle by pushing through.
- A great companion step when using stronger actives like retinol or vitamin C to help maintain comfort.
Panthenol is very well tolerated and one of the gentlest ingredients in skincare. It suits most skin, including sensitive skin — though as with any ingredient, a small number of people do react to it.
Forms you will see it in
B5 toner
- Where it goes
- After cleansing, morning or evening
- How often
- Daily
- Strength
- Gentle
- Sun sensitivity
- None
B5 calming serum
- Where it goes
- Before moisturizer, morning or evening
- How often
- Daily
- Strength
- Gentle
- Sun sensitivity
- None
B5 calming cream
- Where it goes
- As your moisturizer, morning or evening
- How often
- Daily
- Strength
- Gentle
- Sun sensitivity
- None
Using Panthenol (B5) with other ingredients
Pairs well with Panthenol (B5)
Niacinamide
Works well togetherBoth support the look and feel of the skin's moisture barrier in complementary ways, for all-round comfort.
Ceramides
Works well togetherPanthenol helps skin feel softer and more comfortable while ceramides reinforce the look and feel of the skin's moisture barrier.
Centella asiatica
Works well togetherBoth are gentle, soothing ingredients that complement each other for a comfortable, calmer-looking skin surface.
Centella Derivatives (Cica)
Works well togetherBoth promote a comfortable, healthier-looking complexion.
Bisabolol
Works well togetherBoth support skin comfort and a healthier-looking complexion.
What not to use with Panthenol (B5)
Nothing flagged. None of the ingredients this wiki covers needs to be kept apart from Panthenol (B5) — check the label of anything not covered here.
Who should avoid Panthenol (B5)?#
Six situations change whether Panthenol (B5) suits your skin right now. Each one is either a reason to skip it, a reason to go slowly, or nothing to watch for.
- Maternity & Nursing
- No caution
- Fragile or Sensitive
- No caution
- Recent Facial or Laser
- No caution
- Prone to Redness
- No caution
- Dry or Itchy Patches
- No caution
- Recent Shave or Wax
- No caution
Cosmetic strength limits for Panthenol (B5) where you live#
| Region | Maximum strength |
|---|---|
| United States | No explicit cap |
| Canada | No explicit cap |
| European Union | No explicit cap |
| Great Britain | No explicit cap |
No cosmetic regulator in these four markets sets a maximum strength for panthenol (b5). That is a limit on the rules, not a signal to use more: how much goes into a product is the formulator's decision.
Products with Panthenol (B5)#
We may earn a small commission when you buy through these links.
B5 toner · 9
APLBHyaluronic Acid Ceramide HA B5 Facial Toner - 160ml$9.80
FABYOUCeramide Panthenol Barrier Support Toner - 300ml$14.79
Round LabSoybean Panthenol Toner - 250ml$20.00
Mary&MayVitamin B5+Bifida Toner - 120ml$15.60
SOME BY MIBeta Panthenol Repair Toner - 150ml$15.80
ONE THINGCica B5 Toner - 210ml$20.25
DermatoryHyaluron Barrier Skin Prep Lotion B5 - 200ml$25.20
make p:remRice Liposome Panthenol Moisture Toner - 200ml$22.40
ParnellPanthenol 3.28% + Heartleaf Calming Toner - 200ml$17.10B5 calming serum · 14
Cos De BAHAHyaluronic+B5 Serum (HP) - 30ml$8.39
APLBHyaluronic Acid Ceramide HA B5 Ampoule Serum - 40ml$9.80
FABYOUCeramide Panthenol Barrier Support Serum - 50ml$15.69
BEAUTY OF JOSEONCalming Serum : Green tea + Panthenol - 60ml$19.20
Round LabSoybean Panthenol Ampoule - 50ml$22.00
numbuzinNo.1 Pantothenic B5 Active Soothing Serum - 50ml$21.00
Purito SEOULMighty Bamboo Panthenol Serum - 30ml$15.40
IsntreeOnion Newpair B5 Ampoule - 50ml$20.03
SOME BY MIBeta Panthenol Repair Serum - 30ml$19.70
BellflowerPanthenol 30% Serum - 30ml$10.82
DermatoryHyal Shot Barrier Ampoule B5 - 50ml$31.50
JumisoD-Panthenol Barrier Soothing Serum - 70ml$17.50
ParnellPanthenol 5.78% + Heartleaf Calming Serum - 30ml$16.20
Timeless Skin CareVitamin B5 Hydration Serum - 30ml$19.92B5 calming cream · 14
APLBHyaluronic Acid Ceramide HA B5 Facial Cream - 55ml$9.80
ANUA3 Ceramide Panthenol Moisture Barrier Cream - 100ml$28.00
SKIN1004Madagascar Centella Tea-Trica B5 Cream - 75ml$12.92
Round LabSoybean Panthenol Cream - 80ml$24.90
numbuzinNo.1 Pantothenic B5 Active Soothing Cream - 80ml$21.00
Purito SEOULMighty Bamboo Panthenol Cream - 100ml$16.10
heimishMarine Care Algae+Panthenol Deep Moisture Nourishing Melting Cream - 55ml$22.34
SOME BY MIBeta Panthenol Repair Cream - 50ml$19.00
AXIS-YPanthenol 10 Skin Smoothing Shield Cream - 50ml$18.00
DermatoryHyal Shot Barrier Cream B5 - 70ml$27.00
JumisoD-Panthenol Barrier Soothing Cream - 80ml$18.20
NEEDLYPanthenol Water Gel Cream - 50ml$20.43
Pyunkang YulATO Panthenol Ceramide Balm Cream - 30ml$11.89
TIA'MTIAM - Panthenol Moist Cream - 50ml - New Version$16.89Common questions about Panthenol (B5)#
When should you apply Panthenol (B5)?
- Every day. There is nothing to ease into.
Which form of Panthenol (B5) should you use?
- B5 toner — after cleansing, morning or evening, daily. B5 calming serum — before moisturizer, morning or evening, daily. B5 calming cream — as your moisturizer, morning or evening, daily.
How often can you use Panthenol (B5)?
- Daily.
Where do you apply Panthenol (B5)?
- All over the face. Keep it away from your eyes and lips.
Does Panthenol (B5) make skin more sensitive to the sun?
- No. Panthenol (B5) is not flagged as increasing sun sensitivity.
What should you not use with Panthenol (B5)?
- Nothing flagged. None of the ingredients this wiki covers needs to be kept apart from Panthenol (B5) — check the label of anything not covered here.
Is there a cosmetic limit for Panthenol (B5)?
- No. No cosmetic regulator in the United States, Canada, the European Union or Great Britain sets a maximum strength for it. That is a limit on the rules, not a signal to use more.
Related ingredients#
How we check this#
Everything on this page traces to the sources listed below — regulators' own publications and published studies. Where the evidence does not answer a question, it is left unanswered.
Our review is AI-assisted and is not a named expert's opinion. Last reviewed August 4, 2026.
Think something here is out of date or wrong? Email us at wiki@skinintelligence.ai with your reasoning and where you read it. We read what people send, and we update the page when the sources support it.
Regulators and official bodies · 8
- S1Bepanthen WUND- UND HEILSALBE 50 mg/g Salbe — Fachinformation (SmPC). Bayer Vital GmbH, Leverkusen. Zulassungsnummer 6028978.00.02; authorised 23.08.1999, renewed 31.01.2005 and 06.05.2013. Stand März 2024. BfArM-approved mandate document.
- S2Corneregel 50 mg/g Augengel — Fachinformation (SmPC). Stand August 2022. BfArM-approved mandate document; ATC S01XA12.
- S3Scott LN, Fiume M, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, Hill RA, Klaassen CD, Liebler DC, Marks JG, Shank RC, Slaga TJ, Snyder PW, Heldreth B. Safety Assessment of Panthenol, Pantothenic Acid, and Derivatives as Used in Cosmetics. Int J Toxicol. 2022;41:77–128. PMID 36177798. DOI 10.1177/10915818221124809.
- S30Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on cosmetic products, consolidated text of 01.09.2025, CELEX 02009R1223-20250901 (EUR-Lex). Verified by direct text search of the full 3.82 MB consolidated instrument: 0 occurrences of "panthenol"/"pantothen"; positive control "glycolic acid" = 5 occurrences. Not vaulted — file size would bloat the source index; the check is reproducible from the CELEX identifier.
- S31Retained Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annexes II, III, IV, V and VI as they apply in Great Britain, legislation.gov.uk/eur/2009/1223/annex/{II,III,IV,V,VI}. Verified by direct text search of each annex: 0 occurrences of "panthenol" in all five; positive control "glycolic" = 5 occurrences in Annex III.
- S32Health Canada, Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist — List of Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetic Ingredients. Verified: 0 occurrences of "panthenol"/"pantothen" in 9,815 words of list text.
- S33US FDA, Prohibited & Restricted Ingredients in Cosmetics (21 CFR Part 700, Subpart B). Verified: 0 occurrences in the body text.
- S3421 CFR Part 347 — Skin Protectant Drug Products for Over-the-Counter Human Use, current eCFR text. Verified against the part-347 XML: "panthenol" 0, "allantoin" 1, "petrolatum" 4.
Studies and references · 32
- S4Proksch E, Nissen HP. Dexpanthenol enhances skin barrier repair and reduces inflammation after sodium lauryl sulphate-induced irritation. J Dermatolog Treat. 2002;13(4):173–178. PMID 19753737. RCT.
- S5Biro K, Thaçi D, Ochsendorf FR, Kaufmann R, Boehncke WH. Efficacy of dexpanthenol in skin protection against irritation: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Contact Dermatitis. 2003;49(2):80–84. PMID 14641355.
- S6Camargo FB, Gaspar LR, Maia Campos PM. Skin moisturizing effects of panthenol-based formulations. J Cosmet Sci. 2011;62(4):361–370. PMID 21982351. Controlled clinical trial.
- S7Porto Ferreira VT, Silva GC, Martin AA, Maia Campos PMBG. Topical dexpanthenol effects on physiological parameters of the stratum corneum by Confocal Raman Microspectroscopy. Skin Res Technol. 2023. PMID 37753694.
- S8Stettler H, Kurka P, Lunau N, Manger C, Böhling A, Bielfeldt S, Wilhelm KP, Dähnhardt-Pfeiffer S, Dähnhardt D, Brill FH, Lenz H. A new topical panthenol-containing emollient: results from two randomized controlled studies… J Dermatolog Treat. 2017;28:173–180. PMID 27425824.
- S9Proksch E, de Bony R, Trapp S, Boudon S. Topical use of dexpanthenol: a 70th anniversary article. J Dermatolog Treat. 2017;28:766–773. PMID 28503966.
- S10Gorski J, Proksch E, Baron JM, Schmid D, Zhang L. Dexpanthenol in Wound Healing after Medical and Cosmetic Interventions (Postprocedure Wound Healing). Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2020;13:138. PMID 32610604.
- S11Heise R, Schmitt L, Huth L, Krings L, Kluwig D, Katsoulari KV, Steiner T, Hölzle F, Baron JM, Huth S. Accelerated wound healing with a dexpanthenol-containing ointment after fractional ablative CO₂ laser resurfacing of photo-damaged skin in a randomized prospective clinical trial. Cutan Ocul Toxicol. 2019;38:274–278. PMID 30897983.
- S12Weßollek K, Marquardt Y, Wagner-Schiffler S, Baron JM, Huth S. Post-Treatment of Micro-Needling with a Dexpanthenol-Containing Ointment Accelerates Epidermal Wound Healing in Human 3D Skin Models. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2023. PMID 37337567.
- S13Gao M, Gao N, Wang L, Yao T, Jing H, Liu H, Gao L. Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of a Panthenol-Enriched Mask for Skin Barrier Recovery After Facial Laser Treatment. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2025;24:e70223. PMID 40613435.
- S14Lueangarun S, Srituravanit A, Tempark T. Efficacy and safety of moisturizer containing 5% panthenol, madecassoside, and copper-zinc-manganese versus 0.02% triamcinolone acetonide cream… J Cosmet Dermatol. 2019;18:1751–1757. PMID 30945430.
- S15Li W, Yu Q, Shen Z, Zhang Z, Li C, Li C, Wu Z, Zhang W. Effects of a cream containing madecassoside, 5% panthenol, and copper-zinc-manganese on improving postlaser resurfacing wound healing: A split-face, randomized trial. Dermatol Ther. 2020;33:e13533. PMID 32378273.
- S16Cho YS, Kim HO, Woo SM, Lee DH. Use of Dexpanthenol for Atopic Dermatitis — Benefits and Recommendations Based on Current Evidence. J Clin Med. 2022;11:3943. PMID 35887707.
- S17Stettler H, Kurka P, Kandzora J, Pavel V, Breuer M, Macura-Biegun A. A new topical panthenol-containing emollient for maintenance treatment of childhood atopic dermatitis: results from a multicenter prospective study. J Dermatolog Treat. 2017;28:774–779. PMID 28511614. RCT.
- S18Somjorn P, Kamanamool N, Kanokrungsee S, Rojhirunsakool S, Udompataikul M. A cream containing linoleic acid, 5% dexpanthenol and ceramide in the treatment of atopic dermatitis. Asian Pac J Allergy Immunol. 2024. PMID 33865303. RCT.
- S19Peltier E, Trapp S, de Salvo R, Sun C, Brandt M, Laing S, Hennighausen N, Barrionuevo-Gonzalez A. A new dexpanthenol-containing liquid cleanser for atopic-prone skin. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2022;21:3859–3866. PMID 35866315.
- S20Zhang X, Kerob D, Zhang Z, Tao H, He X, Yi Y, Fang X, Wang W, Steel A. Efficacy and safety of a cream containing panthenol, prebiotics, and probiotic lysate for improving sensitive skin symptoms. Skin Res Technol. 2024. PMID 38186043.
- S21Fernandes RA, Santiago L, Gouveia M, Gonçalo M. Allergic contact dermatitis caused by dexpanthenol — Probably a frequent allergen. Contact Dermatitis. 2018;79:276–280. PMID 30009460.
- S22Weber B, Hylwa S. Panthenol Allergic Contact Dermatitis: Sources of Exposure, Reported Cases, and a Call for More Frequent Testing. Dermatitis. 2025;36:343–351. PMID 39714944.
- S23Werner M, Herling M, Garbe B, Theek C, Tronnier H, Heinrich U, Braun N. Determination of the Influence of the Antiphlogistic Ingredients Panthenol and Bisabolol on the SPF Value in vivo. Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2017;30:284–291. PMID 28972949.
- S24Bjerring P, Draelos ZD, Fabi SG, Goodman GJ, Hau KC, Haus A, Heydenrych I, Kim J, Lin LC, Sayed K, Sundaram H, Tsubouchi R, Wu Y, Brieva P, Choudhary H, Xiang LF. International Expert Consensus on Integrated Skincare Active Ingredients for Pretreatment and Posttreatment Use With Medical Aesthetic Procedures. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2026. PMID 42087526. Delphi.
- S25Abd Elazim NE, Awad SM, El-Naggar MS, Mohamed RH. Topical Ectoin Versus Topical Dexpanthenol for Managing Acute Radiodermatitis Associated With Breast Cancer Radiotherapy: A Randomized Double-Blind Study. Dermatitis. 2023. PMID 37792331.
- S26Turan Ç, Öner Ü. Lip Mesotherapy with Dexpanthenol as a Novel Approach to Prevent Isotretinoin-Associated Cheilitis. Dermatol Pract Concept. 2023. PMID 36892384.
- S27Schmid DA, Domingues MP, Nanu A, Kluger N, de Salvo R, Trapp S. Exploratory evaluation of tolerability, performance, and cosmetic acceptance of dexpanthenol-containing dermo-cosmetic wash and sun-care products for tattoo aftercare. Health Sci Rep. 2022. PMID 35782304.
- S28Nowicka D, Chilicka K, Dzieńdziora-Urbińska I, Szyguła R. Skincare in Rosacea from the Cosmetologist's Perspective: A Narrative Review. J Clin Med. 2022. PMID 36614915. Narrative review — carries no quantitative weight..
- S29Lueangarun S, Techalert N, Tempark T. Efficacy of Mild-to-Moderate Chronic Hand Eczema Treatment Using Petrolatum and Panthenol Ointment vs. 0.1% Triamcinolone Acetonide in 10% Urea Cream: A Split-hand, Evaluator-blinded, Randomized, Controlled Trial. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2025. PMID 40078865.
- S35Schalock PC, Storrs FJ, Morrison L. Contact urticaria from panthenol in hair conditioner. Contact Dermatitis. 2000. PMID 11011922.
- S36Clerens I, Goossens A. Allergic contact dermatitis caused by panthenol: a rare but relevant sensitizer. Contact Dermatitis. 2017. PMID 28095635.
- S37Han J, Warshaw EM. Allergic Contact Dermatitis to Panthenol in "Hypoallergenic" Products. Dermatitis. 2022 (PMID 35318981) and 2023;34:62–63 (PMID 36705646).
- S38Ahuja KR, Nedorost S. Should We Patch Test to Panthenol More Often? Dermatitis. 2024;35:673–674. PMID 38466988.
- S39Anwar AI, Adriani A, Rimayani S, Anwar AA, Seweng A, Munirah R, Dewi WS, Kurniadi I. The Effectiveness of Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Dexpanthenol, and Centella Asiatica Combination Serum in the Treatment of Post-Acne Hyperpigmentation. Skinmed. 2021. PMID 33938432.
- S40Blanchard G, Kerre S, Walker A, Dendooven E, Aerts O, Goossens A, Gilliet M, Seremet T. Allergic contact dermatitis from pantolactone and dexpanthenol in wound healing creams. Contact Dermatitis. 2022. PMID 35946606.
