Natural components of plant and animal origin are widely used by scientists to develop all kinds of cosmetics. A huge role is given to a unique substance called “allantoin”. What is it, in what means is it contained? This information is especially useful for people who care about their beauty and health.
What is allantoin?
For the first time, this cosmetic product was isolated from the embryonic membrane in birds. The role of allantoin is associated with the correct formation of the embryo and the growth of tissue cells in a living organism.
In the course of research it was found that this compound is not produced in humans, and some animals and plants are considered its natural sources. A byproduct of uric acid oxidation is allantoin. What is it and where is its greatest content?
How to get
Plant sources are the roots of comfrey , wheat germ, sprouted beans and soy, and also rice husk. They have long been used to accelerate the healing of the wound surface and tissue repair.
The highest content of allantoin is contained in the mucus extract of the snail of the grape and its southern European relative Helix Aspers Muller.
Obtaining a component from natural sources is considered an expensive process, therefore, it is mainly extracted using a synthetic method. It has been established that organic and synthetic analogs practically do not differ in their characteristics.
Structure
Plant allantoin - what is it from a chemical point of view? It is a product of the cleavage of the purine base of uric acid. The plant form contains glucose, carotene, mucopolysaccharides, fructose, glucoronic acid, tannin, glucoside. The synthetic allantoin composition is identical to the natural analogue. All of these components determine the diverse characteristics of a given substance.
Beneficial features
Using a synthetic or natural form of allantoin is completely safe. It does not cause allergic reactions or toxic damage to the body.
Allantoin has a beneficial effect on the skin, because it has a variety of medicinal properties, and the absence of smell allows it to be used in all cosmetic forms.
The presence of antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory action makes it possible to deal with a number of diseases that affect the skin.
Antioxidant properties protect the body from the effects of free radicals and premature aging, which is actively used to create anti-aging cosmetics.
Thanks to the exfoliating effect, allantoin eliminates dead cells from the surface of the skin, preventing the pores from clogging and forming comedones.
The presence of moisturizing and softening properties helps to care for dry and sensitive skin, relieves irritation and itching, which leads to an improvement in the protective functions of the skin.
It is capable of accelerating the regeneration, healing of damaged tissues and increasing the fluid content in cells. Thanks to these properties, burn lesions and cracked epithelium with drugs, including allantoin, are successfully treated. What is it, it became clear. It remains to find out in what medicinal and cosmetic forms it is contained.
Where to use
Many healing properties allow the use of allantoin molecules in a variety of skin care products for the whole body. Some are aimed at softening the skin and narrowing the pores, others - at restoring the weathered or sun-burnt epithelium.
Due to the multicomponent composition, allantoin is added to the cream, shampoos for washing hair, antiperspirants, deodorants. Its presence in the last two agents provides a decrease in the activity of bacterial cells due to antimicrobial activity.
The presence of anti-inflammatory properties, increased metabolic processes and accelerated cell regeneration allows the use of this substance as part of medicinal ointments for the treatment and prevention of peripheral blood vessel diseases.
Allantoin Cream
This form is considered the most common. Allantoin is part of anti-aging, nourishing, moisturizing, sunscreen, shaving creams.
With their help, restore the skin after exposure to ultraviolet radiation, smooth small wrinkles, increase the tone and hydration of the skin, relieve irritation and dryness of the epithelium. During dermatological testing, the effectiveness of allantoin was established, and consumer reviews indicate positive results after using such funds.
Allantoin perfectly fights stretch marks on the skin, which is why it is added to cream from striae for pregnant women. After the birth of a baby, many mothers continue to use it until the elasticity of the epithelium is fully restored. Positive reviews prove that allantoin acts on skin sprains and removes them.
The substance is most effective in baby creams. Reviews of pediatricians indicate that it perfectly eliminates diaper rash, has an anti-inflammatory effect and quickly soothes the baby's delicate skin.
Allantoin Gel
It is considered one of the most effective cosmetic forms. Allantoin gel usually contains other active ingredients, for example D-panthenol, plant extracts, essential oils. It is applied to the skin after shaving, to reduce sunburn, to soothe or moisturize the epithelium, to heal scars.
A natural dermatological preparation is Kamelox (gel with allantoin) manufactured by Vertex. Due to the multicomponent composition, the gel helps prevent the formation of scar tissue and stretch marks of the epithelium, as well as their treatment.
Allantoin has an exfoliating and restorative effect, can reduce itching.
The presence of aloe juice extract has a regenerating, keratolytic, emollient and anti-inflammatory effect.
The presence of onion extract and bromelain has a visible fibrinolytic, anti-inflammatory effect, improves the external condition of the tissue on the scar.
Due to the essential oil from rosemary, inflammation decreases, blood microcirculation improves, antioxidant effect is carried out.
Gel Instructions
For prophylactic purposes, as well as for the treatment of scars and striae, Kamelox is applied 1 or 2 times a day to the affected areas using gentle massage movements. For single use, from 2 to 5 ml of gel is sufficient.
The drug is not contraindicated during pregnancy.