Panthenol is becoming an increasingly familiar ingredient in hydrating skincare, often appearing alongside ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, ceramides and other moisture-supporting ingredients.
Also known as Pro-Vitamin B5, panthenol is valued in skincare for its moisturising and skin-conditioning properties. It is particularly useful in formulations designed to support hydration, softness and skin comfort.
But what exactly is panthenol, what does it do for skin, and how can you incorporate it into your skincare routine?
Here’s what you need to know.
What Is Panthenol?
Panthenol is a provitamin form of vitamin B5, also known as pantothenic acid.
In skincare, panthenol is commonly included as a moisturising and conditioning ingredient. It is used across serums, moisturisers and other topical formulations designed to help maintain hydrated, comfortable-feeling skin.
Research into topical dexpanthenol (D-panthenol, the biologically active form of panthenol) has measured factors including skin hydration and transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
For everyday skincare, this makes panthenol particularly relevant to routines focused on maintaining moisture and supporting a softer, smoother skin feel.
What Does Panthenol Do for Skin?
One of the main reasons panthenol is used in skincare is its ability to support skin hydration and moisture retention.
When incorporated into a well-formulated skincare product, panthenol can help:
- Support skin hydration
- Maintain moisture
- Support softer, smoother-feeling skin
- Reduce the feeling of dryness and tightness
- Support overall skin comfort
A placebo-controlled human study found that topical dexpanthenol improved hydration of the stratum corneum and reduced transepidermal water loss after seven days of use.
Other research has also examined panthenol-containing topical formulations in relation to skin moisturisation and hydration.
These properties explain why panthenol is frequently found in skincare designed around hydration and skin comfort.
Panthenol and Skin Hydration
Healthy-looking skin relies on maintaining an appropriate balance of water and moisture.
When skin lacks water, it can feel tight, look dull or show more noticeable fine dehydration lines. This can happen across different skin types — including oily and combination skin.
Panthenol is often incorporated into hydrating formulas because it helps support moisture within the outermost layers of the skin.
This makes it useful alongside other hydration-focused ingredients rather than necessarily being used alone.
For a more detailed look at dehydration and building a hydration-focused routine, read our How to Hydrate Dehydrated Skin guide.
Panthenol and the Skin Barrier
The outermost layer of the skin plays an important role in maintaining moisture and protecting the skin from its surrounding environment.
A well-designed skincare routine can help maintain hydrated, comfortable-feeling skin, through a combination of hydrating ingredients and moisturising lipids.
Panthenol is commonly used in formulations designed around hydration and barrier support. Human research into topical dexpanthenol has measured factors including stratum corneum hydration and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) when evaluating its use in topical formulations.
Panthenol is only one part of this picture. Ingredients such as ceramides, cholesterol and phytosphingosine can play complementary roles within barrier-focused moisturisers.
Learn more about how the skin barrier works in our complete REVEA Skin Journal guide.
Panthenol vs Hyaluronic Acid: What's the Difference?
Panthenol and hyaluronic acid are both widely used in hydration-focused skincare, but they are different ingredients.
Hyaluronic acid is a humectant known for its ability to attract and hold water, making it a popular ingredient in hydrating serums.
Panthenol, meanwhile, is Pro-Vitamin B5 and is used for its moisturising and skin-conditioning properties.
Rather than choosing one or the other, the two ingredients can be used within the same skincare formulation.
This is why you may see panthenol and hyaluronic acid together in products designed to provide lightweight, layered hydration.
Can You Use Panthenol and Hyaluronic Acid Together?
Yes. Panthenol and hyaluronic acid can be incorporated into the same skincare routine — and they can also be formulated together within a single product.
The combination makes sense in hydration-focused skincare because the ingredients provide complementary cosmetic functions.
Hyaluronic acid helps attract and retain moisture, while panthenol contributes moisturising and conditioning properties that support soft, comfortable-feeling skin.
REVEA uses this combination in CALM Barrier Support Serum, pairing Multi-Weight Hyaluronic Acid with Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5) as part of a lightweight hydrating formulation.
Is Panthenol Suitable for Dry or Sensitive Skin?
Panthenol is commonly found in skincare formulations designed with dry or sensitive-feeling skin in mind.
Its moisturising and conditioning properties make it particularly relevant when the goal is to maintain hydration and skin comfort without building an unnecessarily complicated routine.
However, no single ingredient determines whether a skincare product will suit everyone.
The complete formulation matters, and individual skin responses can vary. If your skin is persistently uncomfortable or you have a diagnosed skin condition, seek personalised advice from an appropriate healthcare professional.
If sensitivity is a consideration when choosing products, you may also find our guide to Fragrance-Free Skincare for Sensitive Skin useful.
How to Add Panthenol to Your Skincare Routine
You don't necessarily need a separate product for every skincare ingredient.
Panthenol can be incorporated into a simple routine through a serum or moisturising formulation that contains it alongside complementary ingredients.
A straightforward routine could look like this:
1. Cleanse
Use a gentle cleanser appropriate for your skin type.
2. Hydrate
Apply a hydrating serum containing ingredients such as panthenol and hyaluronic acid to clean skin.
3. Moisturise
Follow with a moisturiser to help maintain moisture and support the skin barrier.
During the day, complete your routine with appropriate sun protection.
Keeping your routine simple can also make it easier to understand how individual products work with your skin.
Why REVEA Uses Panthenol in CALM Barrier Support Serum
At REVEA, we focus on carefully selected ingredients that complement one another within simple, science-led formulations.
REVEA CALM Barrier Support Serum combines Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5) with Multi-Weight Hyaluronic Acid, Saccharide Isomerate and selected botanical extracts.
The lightweight, fragrance-free formulation is designed to help support hydration, maintain moisture and leave skin feeling comfortable.
Multi-Weight Hyaluronic Acid provides hydration-focused humectant support, while Panthenol contributes moisturising and skin-conditioning properties.
The serum can then be followed with REVEA CALM Barrier Support Cream, which contains a Multi-Ceramide Complex, Cholesterol, Phytosphingosine, Hyaluronic Acid and Ectoin.
Together, the Serum and Cream form the simple two-step REVEA CALM routine:
Hydrate. Support. Maintain.
Explore REVEA CALM Barrier Support Serum →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Panthenol the Same as Vitamin B5?
Panthenol is a provitamin of vitamin B5, also known as pantothenic acid. This is why you will often see panthenol described in skincare as Pro-Vitamin B5.
What Does Panthenol Do in Skincare?
Panthenol is primarily used in skincare for its moisturising and skin-conditioning properties. It can support hydration, moisture retention and softer, more comfortable-feeling skin.
Can You Use Panthenol with Hyaluronic Acid?
Yes. Panthenol and hyaluronic acid can be used together and are often found in the same hydration-focused formulation. Hyaluronic acid acts as a humectant, while panthenol provides complementary moisturising and conditioning properties.
Can You Use Panthenol Every Day?
Panthenol is commonly incorporated into skincare products intended for regular use. How often you use a particular product should ultimately depend on the complete formulation, its directions and how it suits your skin.
Is Panthenol Suitable for Sensitive Skin?
Panthenol is commonly included in formulations designed with sensitive-feeling skin in mind because of its moisturising and conditioning properties. However, individual responses can vary, so the complete formulation should always be considered.
Panthenol in Skincare: The Takeaway
Panthenol may not receive as much attention as some better-known skincare ingredients, but it can play a valuable role in a well-formulated hydration routine.
As Pro-Vitamin B5, panthenol is used in skincare to support hydration, moisture retention, softness and skin comfort.
It can also complement other ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, making the combination particularly useful in lightweight hydrating formulations.
Rather than focusing on a single “hero” ingredient, consider how ingredients work together within the complete formulation and how the product fits into your overall skincare routine.
Explore REVEA CALM Barrier Support Serum with Multi-Weight Hyaluronic Acid + Pro-Vitamin B5 →
Written by REVEA Editorial Team
Updated: 12 September 2026
References & Further Reading
- Gehring W, Gloor M. Effect of topically applied dexpanthenol on epidermal barrier function and stratum corneum hydration. Results of a human in vivo study. Arzneimittelforschung. 2000;50(7):659–663.
- Proksch E, de Bony R, Trapp S, Boudon S. Topical use of dexpanthenol: a 70th anniversary article. Journal of Dermatological Treatment. 2017.
- Stettler H, et al. A new topical panthenol-containing emollient: Results from two randomized controlled studies assessing its skin moisturization and barrier restoration potential. Journal of Dermatological Treatment. 2017;28(2):173–180.
- Therapeutic Goods Administration. Determining if your product is a cosmetic or therapeutic good. Updated 3 July 2026.
