Vitamin B5 or Provitamin B5 – chances are high that you’d have seen any of these names on the ingredients list of skin care or hair care products. In fact, you will find an entire range of products focusing on this essential skin care ingredient. This is because vitamin B5 (or pantothenic acid) offers immense benefits for your skin. It not only moisturizes and rejuvenates your skin but also helps tackle skin issues like dryness, itchiness, and redness. Let’s find out more about this wonder ingredient.
What Is Pantothenic Acid Or Vitamin B5?
Vitamin B5 is a water-soluble vitamin and is mainly found in plant- and animal-based foods, such as eggs, meat, vegetables, legumes, cereals, and milk. It is one of the B-complex vitamins, which regulate multiple physiological processes inside your body and are considered the building blocks of your overall health. Vitamin B5 is commercially available as pantothenic acid, which is a chemical prepared in laboratories. Pantothenic acid is widely used in skin and hair care products and also in medicines and supplements for oral consumption. Provitamin B5 (or panthenol) is the alcohol form of vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid.
Your body needs vitamin B5 to
Maintain proper functioning of your liver and the nervous system
Keep your digestive tract working properly.
Produce red blood cells (RBCs) to supply oxygen throughout your body
Maintain healthy skin, eyes, and hair
You can easily maintain a supply of vitamin B5 by following a balanced diet that includes:
Fish and seafood (such as salmon and lobster
Meat (such as beef, chicken, and turkey)
Dairy products (such as yogurt, milk, and milk products) Legumes (such as soybeans and split peas)
Grains (especially whole grains)
Vegetables (such as broccoli, avocado, cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes)
Panthothenic acid or vitamin B5 is listed in skin care products under the names d-panthenol (Provitamin B5), dexpanthenol, and dl-panthenol.
Skin Benefits of Pantothenic Acid or Vitamin B5
Applying vitamin B5 prevents water loss from your skin and helps in retaining moisture. This, in turn, prevents dry skin, flakiness, and itchiness and maintains softness and elasticity of your skin. It also helps to maintain the skin barrier function. This property of vitamin B5 is beneficial in healing atopic dermatitis
Dexpanthenol has an anti-inflammatory effect on your skin. When applied topically, it protects your skin from erythema or redness caused by UV exposure. A study found that dexpanthenol minimized skin roughness and inflammation caused by SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate), an ingredient commonly found in skin and hair care products. Another study also found that it could help in managing skin irritation and napkin dermatitis or diaper rash.
Applying pantothenic acid can heal wounds and make scars less visible this is because pantothenic acid boosts the development of structural proteins (such as collagen) that your skin needs.
Provitamin B5 or d-panthenol boosts the production of glutathione in your skin. This component binds the free radicals and peroxides, which, in turn, reduces the formation of melanin and minimizes the appearance of dark spots on your face
5. It Has Anti-Aging Effects
Pantothenic acid or Provitamin B5 helps in the production of fibroblasts in the middle layer of your skin (the layer where wrinkles form) and boosts collagen, glycan, and elastin production, which makes your skin appear youthful