Want Brighter Skin & Less Inflammation? Look Out For This Ingredient

Every so often, age-old skin care ingredients cycle through their time in the sun: What's tried and true becomes "trendy" again and again. For example, over the past few years, niacinamide has received a ton of hype.

While not a new ingredient by any means, the buzzy vitamin B3 has captured the hearts of many skin care aficionados of late (for great reasons: It balances oil production, smooths fine lines, and brightens tone), so many brands include at least some niacinamide concentration in their formulas—to the point where we may actually be overwhelming our skin with the ingredient, some experts theorize. 

And we're already seeing a shift in power when it comes to these center-stage beauty ingredients. Nothing against niacinamide—but now, it's allantoin's time to shine. 

On this episode of Clean Beauty School, mbg's beauty director Alexandra Engler and I chatted extensively about the recent explosion of allantoin; Engler even deems it the "new niacinamide," given its similar rise to the top.

As board-certified dermatologist and YouTube creator Andrea Suarez, M.D., previously tells mbg: "Allantoin is an extract that comes from the comfrey plant but also can be found in a variety of other plants," which includes beets and chamomile. 

It functions similarly to panthenol (aka, vitamin B5), as it can soothe redness and irritation. For this reason, Suarez explains, allantoin is frequently found in cosmetics marketed for irritated skin and after-sun products. 

But that's not all the star ingredient can do: Allantoin can also gently accelerate natural cell turnover. "Allantoin is thought to have keratolytic properties," says board-certified dermatologist Christina Lee Chung, M.D., FAAD. "It is derived from urea, which, like the ubiquitous alpha-hydroxy acids, can help smooth and soften skin by getting rid of excess dead skin."

Those soothing-slash-smoothing properties make it a hero for sensitive, acne-prone skin. It also speeds up wound healing1 and reduces inflammation, which is why you can find it in a bunch of scar creams, ointments, and the like.  

So, what suddenly put allantoin back on the map? Well, it also generally plays nice with other skin care ingredients (similar to niacinamide). Not only that, but "[allantoin] enhances the efficacy and appeal of formulas by acting as a skin protectant and providing necessary moisture," says clean cosmetic chemist Krupa Koestline.