top of page
Search

Allantoin (Ingredient Encyclopedia)

Updated: Jan 31, 2024


Skin Benefits - Is an anti-irritant that helps soothe skin. For example it can help soothe diaper rash, wounds, and burns. It also has a moisturizing effect to help with dry, rough, scaly skin, along with offering a keratolytic effect, which means it can help break down the outer layer of the skin to help soothe skin concerns like psoriasis. Source 


Why you would use in a product - to help hydrate/moisturize and soothe skin. Use in products for sensitive skin or products you want to help soothe & calm the skin.


What products to use it in - A wide variety of products such as, but limited to; Lotions/Creams, Shampoos & Scalp Products, Body Washes, Lip Products, Baby Products, Soothing Products like after Sun Care


Solubility - Water Soluble, but it needs assistance. You must heat to 120°F to dissolve it and make sure you mix it periodically to help dissolve it. I was able to get the Allantoin it to dissolve at room temperature using a 0.1% with 99.9% distilled water, but I was not able to do that at 0.5%.


Usage Rate - 0.1 - 2%


pH as supplied -  4 - 6


pH it’s stable in - 3 - 8


Appearance - White free flowing powder


Shelf Life - 12 Months


Heat Sensitive? - No 


Vegan? - Yes


Ecocert? - Yes


Cosmos? - Yes


Natural? - Depends on your definition of natural. It can be found naturally, but is mostly produced synthetically nowadays, but it is nature identical. 



How to Formulate with it - Add into water and heat to 120°F to dissolve and mix.


Emulsions - Add into the heated water phase. Mix periodically until it is fully dissolved. If you experience grittiness in your finished emulsion, this is because the allantoin isn’t fully dissolved or it re-crystallized.


Watery Solutions (Toners, Essences, Serums, Cleansers/Washes) - Add the Allantoin to at least 20% of your distilled water (or more) and heat & mix to 120°F to dissolve. You should not see any crystals or particles in finished product when using allantoin.



FDA Regulations - Allantoin can be used at 0.5% - 2% in OTC (over the counter) cosmetic drug products, but OTC cosmetic drug products still need to be FDA approved.

As long as Allantoin is not listed as an “active ingredient” on the product label then your product will be considered a cosmetic and not an OTC cosmetic drug. 

You also can not make drug claims like, “treats psoriasis” because your product will now be considered a drug and will need FDA approval. 

  • As soon as you start making claims like “cure, treat/treatment, mitigate/mitigation, prevent disease/prevention of disease, intended to effect the structure of skin, anti-aging etc.” your product will then be seen as a drug or OTC drug and will need FDA approval. Source Source2 


How Allantoin is Sourced - Can be found naturally in the roots of the Comfrey plant, but is produced synthetically by being synthesized, “taking glyoxalic acid and urea as raw materials and taking a hydrosulfate and sulfuric acid mixture, a hydrophosphate and phosphoric acid mixture, hydrosulfate or hydrophosphate as a catalyst” - source 


Known Irritations or Side Effects - No known side effects, but if burning, irritation, stinging, or redness occurs when using this ingredient discontinue use. 


Personal Opinion - Many suppliers claim it to be water soluble, and it is, but it needs assistance. You must heat to 120°F to dissolve it and make sure you mix it periodically to help dissolve it. Some suppliers will claim that if you heat it, it will then re-crystallize when it cools down, but I have never experienced that. The only time I have ever experienced recrystallization is when I don't heat it. Do your own experiments and see what works for you. Maybe it depends on where you buy it, but this has been my experience using allantoin purchased from lotioncrafter.com. If you do experience crystals in your finished product or grittiness in cream/lotions when using this ingredient, know it’s probably from the allantoin and further experiments are needed.

I was able to get the Allantoin it to dissolve at room temperature using a 0.1% with 99.9% distilled water, but I was not able to do that at 0.5%. I also tried mixing it with glycerin and propanediol first and I still was not able to get it to this dissolve.


Substitutions - there isn't anything exactly like allantoin in regards to it being an OTC "active" ingredient and stuff, but some other ingredients that are soothing to the skin are; Bisabolol, Chamomile Extract, Cucumber Extract, Rose Hydrosol, Witch Hazel Hydrosol, & Aloe Vera


Best price in the US I found for Allantoin;

Scented Expressions 8oz for $5.23 - Shipping for just this item is $8.01

Natural Bulk Supply - 8oz for $7.20 - Shipping for just this item is $10.41

*Shipping price will vary depending on location.

*Even with shipping cost these two places are a lot cheaper than other website.

*Wait until you need multiple ingredients from a website so the shipping cost average is cheaper.


Where to purchase Allantoin;

I was gonna link to every place for all the countries I could find it, but it was taking way too long. So that is why some countries have multiple websites and some only have one. My main goal was to list at least one site for all the countries I could find suppliers for. For a full list of suppliers click here 





UK - aromantic this is an affiliate link









Sources;









Recent Posts

See All

Comments

bottom of page