Allantoin
Allantoin gently smooths rough texture and calms irritation through a mild cell-turnover effect, without the exfoliation intensity of an actual acid. It's one of the safest ingredients here to layer with anything else, which is why it turns up so often in formulations built around a stronger, more irritating active.
How it works
A urea derivative that exerts a gentle cell-normalizing (keratolytic-adjacent) action, softening rough surface texture and promoting mild epithelial cell proliferation to calm irritated skin.
In practice, it functions the same supporting role centella asiatica does — offsetting what a stronger active in the same routine is doing, rather than treating a concern on its own.
How to introduce it
Wait about 2 minutes before the next step. Judging Allantoin before week 4 means judging it before it's had time to actually work — most of what reads as "this isn't doing anything" in the first couple of weeks is just too early to tell.
- No restrictions — safe to combine with every other class.
Who should be careful
Allantoin's safety rating is the lowest tier tracked here — well tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive skin, without a slow introduction.
Common in these product forms
Among the products Skinzy tracks in India that contain Allantoin, it most often shows up as a moisturizer.
Questions people ask
A gentle, calming ingredient that smooths texture without an acid's exfoliation intensity — safe to combine with almost anything.
Most people see a fair result around 4 weeks of consistent use — judging earlier usually means judging too soon.
Either — Allantoin works in both a morning and an evening routine.