Amazing Panthenol Pro-Vitamin B5

And How Vitamin B5 Benefits the Hair, Scalp and Skin

What is vitamin B5?

Also known as panthenol, pantothenic acid, or pantothenate, the word pantothenic comes from the Greek “pantou” meaning everywhere, as nearly all foods contain small quantities of pantothenic acid.

Vitamin B5 is one of eight B vitamins. All B vitamins help to convert the protein, carbohydrates, and fats we eat into energy, and to re-build tissue, muscles, and organs.

Vitamin B5 is one of the most important vitamins for human life. It is necessary for making blood cells, and it helps to convert the food we eat into energy.

B vitamins are also needed for: 

• Healthy skin, hair, and eyes
• Optimal functioning of the nervous system and liver
• Healthy digestion
• Making the red blood cells which carry oxygen throughout the body

Hair and Skin Care

Some studies have shown that vitamin B5 works as a moisturizer on the skin and enhances the healing process of skin wounds.

One study showed that vitamin B5 helped facial acne and reduced the number of acne-related facial blemishes when taken as a dietary supplement.

Cholesterol and triglycerides

Some studies suggest that vitamin B5 intake can help lower cholesterol and levels of blood triglycerides, or fats. This course of management should only be pursued under medical supervision.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Some researchers have found that people with rheumatoid arthritis have lower levels of vitamin B5, and that supplements may improve symptoms, however, more evidence is needed to confirm these results.

Sources of Vitamin B5

The best way to make sure you are getting enough vitamin B5 is to eat a healthy, balanced diet every day.

Vitamin B5 is an easy vitamin to incorporate into a good diet as it is found in most vegetables, including:

• Broccoli
• Members of the cabbage family
• White and sweet potatoes
• Beans
• Peas
• Lentils
• Mushrooms

Other healthy sources of B5 include:

• Whole-grain cereals
• Nuts
• Meats
• Dairy products
• Eggs

Pantothenic acid is widely available in food, but it is often lost in processing, for example, in canning, freezing, and milling. To ensure an adequate intake, foods should be eaten fresh rather than refined. As with all water-soluble vitamins, vitamin B5 is lost when food is boiled.

Cosmetic Uses of Vitamin B5

Vitamin B5 is often added to hair and skin care products, as well as makeup. Dexpanthenol, a chemical made from vitamin B5, is commonly used in creams and lotions designed to moisturise the skin.

Pro-Vitamin B5 or panthenol also has many benefits for hair and is one of the most popular ingredients in hair care products around the world.

When included in hair care products, vitamin B5 can help add volume and sheen. It is also said to improve the texture of hair that has been damaged by styling or chemical processes.

When this hydrating vitamin is applied to the skin and scalp, it penetrates into lower skin layers, absorbs into the cells, and turns into pantothenic acid. Because panthenol is absorbed deeply into the skin and scalp, it infuses a hefty dose of moisture.

One study found that the application of a compound containing panthenol, a form of vitamin B5, could help stop thinning hair by improving scalp hair density while preventing further hair damage and minimizing mid-fibre breakage.

Panthenol is also one of the few vitamins that is able to penetrate the hair so deeply that its nourishing effects are deposited deep into the cortex of the hair fibre, as well as the scalp.

In addition to its ability to deliver so much moisture, Pro-Vitamin B5 is also a weightless volumizer that lifts hair and gives it a fuller and softer appearance.

This is down to Pro-Vitamin B5’s excellent ability to bond to the hair, adding more structure to each strand by adding layers of resilience and strength.

Even More Benefits Of Vitamin B5 For Hair And Scalp

According to research, when panthenol is applied topically, it penetrates deep into skin layers and is absorbed into skin cells where its processed into pantothenic acid. Because it’s absorbed deeply into the skin, it adds essential moisture.

Panthenol is also considered a potential acne treatment because of its absorption properties that can counteract bacteria and its anti-inflammatory properties. These same anti-inflammatory benefits can be seen on the scalp, where panthenol can prevent it from being irritated, tight, and itchy.

In clinical research that studied the effect of topical panthenol on skin, researchers found that skin was moisturized, the barrier lipids were restored, skin barrier function was improved, and bad bacteria in the skin’s microflora were decreased.  For the scalp, this could mean an improvement in the microflora, leading to a healthier scalp.