In the beauty community, we’re a little guilty of hyping up some moisturizing ingredients—think hyaluronic acid, ceramides, niacinamide, and squalane—while overlooking others that deserve the same praise. Take allantoin, for instance—the potent, healing, and soothing ingredient that’s been used for centuries.
You’re not alone if you don’t know much about it or haven’t even heard of it. Despite all of its skin benefits—including anti-aging and exfoliation properties—allantoin flies under the radar. Because we think it deserves more recognition (and a spot in your dry skincare routine), we spoke to top dermatologists Ava Shamban, MD, and Jennifer Herrmann, MD, to answer all your questions about the sensitive-skin-loving ingredient.
