Allantoin Guide
Allantoin is a molecule found in the urine of almost all mammals – except for humans and primates. Today, allantoin is prized for its ability to cleanse the kidneys. Here’s our guide to allantoin.
What is Allantoin?
Allantoin is a chemical compound that is found in almost all mammals except for humans and primates.
When the body breaks down purines – chemical compounds that come naturally from the foods we eat – it excretes those purines through the urine. Before excreting those purines, the body needs to break down uric acid. Once the uric acid is broken down, it is excreted from the body in the form of allantoin.
In the human and primate bodies, we simply excrete uric acid without converting it to allantoin.
So why are people talking about a chemical compound found in animal urine?
Well, when the human body doesn’t eliminate urine quickly enough, it can lead to toxic buildup within your system. When your kidneys can’t process uric acid quickly enough, it leads to buildup within your bloodstream, leading to a medical condition known as gout.
To prevent toxic buildup in your system, some people take allantoin.
Instead of getting allantoin from animal urine, people get it from a plant known as the comfrey plant. Herbal extracts of the comfrey plant are prized for their medicinal and therapeutic benefits.
Benefits of Allantoin
Allantoin is prized by herbalists for its ability to treat a number of conditions.
Herbalists will often use allantoin to treat psoriasis, for example, which is a chronic skin condition characterized by inflammation and redness across the skin, as well as silvery scales on portions of the skin.
Some herbalists also use allantoin to treat other skin conditions. In one small study, for example, allantoin was applied topically to treat the itching associated with atopic dermatitis.
Traditionally, allantoin was also used to treat eczema.
In general, allantoin’s anti-inflammatory properties make it a popular option when treating all different types of skin irritation conditions. Since it’s a natural compound generally regarded as safe, it’s popularly used to treat a variety of skin conditions involving redness and irritation.
How Does Allantoin Work?
Allantoin is thought to work because it contains anti-inflammatories while also acting as an emollient, which means it softens and smoothes the skin.
Allantoin also acts as a keratolytic, which means it can improve skin texture and make it feel smoother while also better reflecting the light.
How to Use Allantoin
The best way to enjoy the benefits of allantoin is to get a cream that contains allantoin as its active ingredient.
Today, you can find a number of creams and ointments on the market that use allantoin to achieve their desired effects.
Be warned about the beauty product industry: today, a number of low-quality anti-aging skin cream manufacturers claim to use allantoin as their active ingredient. In reality, these creams are overpriced moisturizers that do not contain sufficient levels of allantoin to cause their desired effects. Be careful and make sure to read customer reviews about your allantoin cream of choice.
Is Allantoin Safe?
In traditional medicine, allantoin was taken orally to treat different types of kidney problems.
However, this practice stopped after it was revealed that allantoin can cause toxic buildup in the liver. This toxic buildup only occurs when taking allantoin orally and it has been shown to be safe to use topically in all major studies performed thus far.
The Environmental Working Group Skin Deep database classifies the compound as a low hazard cosmetic ingredient. That status means that it has not been linked to health problems nor does it accumulate in the environment.
Ultimately, allantoin is a safe and popular cosmetic ingredient that is used in many topical skin creams. It’s perfectly safe in the amounts found in cosmetic products, but should not be taken orally to avoid toxic buildup in the liver.
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