The Answer to Skin Regeneration: Dexpanthenol and How to Use It
The Answer to Skin Regeneration: Dexpanthenol and How to Use It
What exactly is dexpanthenol?
When talking about dexpanthenol,
we can’t leave out the product Bepanthen.
1933 — Roger J. Williams announced to the world that he had discovered a substance called pantothenic acid.
Of course, at this point,
there was no concept of it being good for the skin.
Then, around 1939, other researchers were studying substances that could prevent and treat dermatitis in chicks.
During that research,
they discovered that a certain substance had an effect.
And that substance turned out to be the pantothenic acid Williams had discovered earlier.
As a result,
it became clear that pantothenic acid was a substance needed by the skin.
However, pantothenic acid itself was not in a form that was ideal for being absorbed through the skin.
More research was needed.
And the substance was modified once more
into a form more suitable for use on the skin.
That became dexpanthenol.
And that is how Bepanthen began — in 1944.
Think of it as being similar to turning flour into bread because flour isn’t easy to eat as it is.
However, the relationship between pantothenic acid and dexpanthenol is not like flour and bread, where they become completely different substances.
Dexpanthenol is converted back into pantothenic acid after being absorbed through the skin.
Since then, Bepanthen has continued to be loved for decades.
In 2024, it became
one of the key brands helping Bayer’s global Consumer Health Dermatology business
achieve the No. 1 position worldwide.
We’re getting close to 100 years.
Amazing, isn’t it?
Dexpanthenol Comes in D and L Forms
Panthenol generally exists in two forms.
D-form and L-form.
When you look at product ingredient lists,
you may see these two forms represented in different ways.
Products containing both D and L forms
should be distinguished from products using only the D-form.
The D-form is called dexpanthenol (D-panthenol).
When both D and L forms are used,
it may be listed as DL-panthenol or simply panthenol.
Why are they classified differently?
Because the form that is biologically active and utilized by the skin is the D-form, dexpanthenol.
That’s why products using the D-form have a reason to emphasize that ingredient.
From now on,
it may be worth checking the ingredient list
and looking for products that specifically state D-panthenol or dexpanthenol.
Dexpanthenol Isn’t Just for Babies
It is gentle enough to be used even on babies.
However, a high concentration of 5% inevitably comes with a thicker, more viscous texture.
The reason is to help the product stay on damaged or irritated skin for longer, allowing it to support the skin’s recovery.
That also makes it quite difficult to apply to the face.
Some people recognize that it works after trying it, but eventually give up because, as they put it, “It feels like I’m putting shoe polish on my face.”
For those people,
there are products formulated with a much smoother texture that is suitable for use on the face.
I’ve sorted them into three categories, so feel free to take a look.
