Allantoin
Allantoin · INCI Allantoin
Allantoin has been used on skin for over a century, it appears in an enormous number of products, and almost nobody talks about it. That is partly because it does not announce itself. Nothing tingles, nothing glows. It makes skin less cross.
One of the oldest and best-evidenced soothing ingredients in cosmetic use.
What it is
Allantoin is the compound that gives comfrey its long reputation in herbal use. Ours is made synthetically, identical to the allantoin found in plants such as comfrey. Making it this way gives a consistent material.
It soothes sensitive skin, in part by binding up irritating substances so they cannot reach the skin and provoke it.
It also softens rough skin, by loosening the keratin that holds dead cells together so they shed more readily. That is a different and gentler mechanism than an acid uses, which is why it suits skin too reactive for exfoliation. At the level we use it, expect gentle smoothing rather than anything dramatic.
What it does in our formulas
Allantoin soothes sensitive skin and softens rough skin.
It soothes sensitive skin
This is its main job and it is well established. Allantoin soothes sensitive skin, partly by binding up irritating substances so they cannot bother the skin. The EU's cosmetic ingredient database lists skin protecting among its functions.
Well characterisedIt softens rough skin
Allantoin loosens the keratin that holds dead cells together at the surface, so they let go more easily. It is a gentler mechanism than an acid, which dissolves the bonds instead, and it suits reactive skin that cannot take exfoliation. At the level we use, the effect is gentle smoothing, well short of resurfacing.
Well characterisedWhat the research does not show
Two claims made for allantoin go further than the evidence.
Marketed as It heals wounds and repairs scars
Marketed as Comfrey extract, the natural version, is better
On the label and in the range
Allantoin appears in every one of our formulations, toward the end of the ingredient list, at a fraction of a percent. It is used at low levels across cosmetics, which is why it sits near the end of most ingredient lists. The exact percentage is published on each product page.
Is it suitable for me?
Allantoin is very well tolerated. The independent expert panel that reviews cosmetic ingredients has assessed it and found it safe as used, and it has a century of use behind it with very few reported problems. It suits a vegan routine and carries no restrictions under UK or EU cosmetic law. It sits comfortably on sensitive and reactive skin.
Allantoin is among the least irritating ingredients in cosmetic use. As with anything new, if your skin reacts easily it is worth patch testing first.
The research behind this page
We review the published literature. We do not conduct the studies below.
- Becker LC, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, et al. Final Report of the Safety Assessment of Allantoin and Its Related Complexes. Int J Toxicol 2010;29(3 Suppl):84S-97S. →
- Araújo LU, Grabe-Guimarães A, Mosqueira VCF, Carneiro CM, Silva-Barcellos NM. Profile of wound healing process induced by allantoin. Acta Cir Bras 2010;25(5):460-466. (background; not evidence for this product) →
- European Commission. CosIng, the EU database of cosmetic ingredients: Allantoin, listed functions include skin protecting. →