BETA-SITOSTEROL

📋 Quick facts

Description: BETA-SITOSTEROL — plant sterol, soothing, barrier support.

All Functions: plant sterol, soothing, barrier support

Quick Facts:

• Category: active

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• A natural plant compound studied for potential hair growth support
• Research suggests antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties
• Has been investigated for skin barrier health and sensitivity
• Found in pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and cosmetic products
• May help protect skin from oxidative stress

⚗️ Chemical Overview

stigmast-5-en-3-ol has been reported in Phanera vahlii, Senna polyphylla, and other organisms with data available.

Source(s): LOTUS – the natural products occurrence database, via PubChem

📊 Comedogenicity

🛡️ Safety rating

Safety tier is a starting heuristic from regulatory status and comedogenic rating, not a dermatological verdict — see our Terms for the full disclaimer. Research confidence reflects how many real cited studies back this ingredient, not the strength of their findings.

🌍 Regulatory Status

💧 Skin Type Compatibility

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

📚 Research & Evidence

🔬 The Science

Beta-sitosterol (β-sitosterol) is a naturally occurring plant compound, specifically a phytosterol, that has attracted research attention for several potential skincare applications, though most studies remain in early stages. #1: Hair growth support — Research in Pharmaceuticals (Basel, 2023) explored beta-sitosterol’s potential to promote hair development as an alternative to synthetic alopecia medications, which can cause systemic side effects. In animal studies, a specialized delivery system combining beta-sitosterol with dissolving microneedles showed significant hair growth, outperforming standard delivery methods. However, this was an animal study testing a novel delivery technology, so human effectiveness remains unclear. #2: Antioxidant protection — Antioxidants (Basel, 2023) found that beta-sitosterol demonstrated strong antioxidant activity in zebrafish larvae exposed to oxidative stress at concentrations of 70-100 μg/mL.

The compound appeared to work by boosting the body’s natural antioxidant defenses. While promising at the cellular level, the practical relevance for human skincare products isn’t yet established in these sources. #3: Anti-inflammatory effects — The same zebrafish study showed beta-sitosterol reduced inflammatory markers and protected against inflammation-related damage. A separate study in Experimental Biology and Medicine (2014) found that beta-sitosterol reduced inflammation severity, cell infiltration, and inflammatory signaling in mice with atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions, suggesting potential benefit for reactive or sensitive skin. Again, human studies are limited. #4: Skin sensitivity and mast cell response — The 2014 study found beta-sitosterol decreased mast cell activation and reduced histamine-related markers in an atopic dermatitis model, which could theoretically help with itching and skin reactivity.

However, this was demonstrated in animal models and cell cultures, not human skin. #5: Stability in skincare formulations — Drug Development Research (2019) reported that beta-sitosterol in topical hydrogel formulations remained stable for at least 3 months under ambient conditions and passed skin irritation safety tests in rats, suggesting it can be safely incorporated into products. Overall, beta-sitosterol shows promise in early-stage research for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and skin-soothing properties, but most evidence comes from animal studies, cell cultures, or zebrafish models. Human clinical data remains limited.

📄 Related Research

Matched by search — not necessarily verified support for every statement above.

• Prabahar K et al. (2023). Enhanced Skin Permeation and Controlled Release of β-Sitosterol Using Cubosomes Encrusted with Dissolving Microneedles for the Management of Alopecia. Pharmaceuticals (Basel).
• Yadav S et al. (2023). β-sitosterol Protects against Aluminium Chloride-mediated Neurotoxicity. Curr Alzheimer Res.
• Zhang P et al. (2023). Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Properties of β-Sitosterol in Copper Sulfate-Induced Inflammation in Zebrafish (Danio rerio). Antioxidants (Basel).
• Djekic L et al. (2019). Topical hydrogels with escin β-sitosterol phytosome and escin: Formulation development and in vivo assessment of antihyperalgesic activity. Drug Dev Res.
• Han NR et al. (2014). The β-sitosterol attenuates atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions through down-regulation of TSLP. Exp Biol Med (Maywood).

🧴 Products Containing BETA-SITOSTEROL

• Glossco color beat mask
• Vivi verde Crema viso idratante protettiva
• Coop, Vivi verde scrub corpo esfoliante
• up & up lotion
• Deliplus Mascarilla Plex Repair
• Deliplus Mascarilla violín con aceite de chia
• belle Natural
• Schmidt’s, Schmidts Schmidt’s Déodorant Stick Signature Rose + Vanille 75g
• Bioderma Atoderm intensive
• Nidé.co, Nidéco Tits Party
• Trader Joe’s Ultra Hydrating Gel Moisturizer
• Skinfood Egg White Perfect Pore Cleansing Foam
• eos
• Green Beaver Extra Dry Body Lotion
• eos
• pura d’or Anti Hair-Thinning Biotin Shampoo
• Earth Mama Mineral Sunscreen Lotion
• Avon sun protection spf 40
• Karethic Nectar de Jeunesse – Sérum Éclat 2 en 1 Anti-tâches
• Steripan – Hydratant à lèvres (Cola)
• alvadiem Baume pieds secs
• Delia Cosmetics Niacinamida 10% Zinc
• sophora japonica day cream
• Avene Réparateur après-soleil
• Sanaka bio Crème de jour au cbd
• Alvadiem Baume pieds secs
• Bioderma Bioderma Péri-Oral ABCDerm
• vivi verde coop Crema viso nutriente protettiva
• vivi verde Coop crema viso rivitalizzante protettiva giorno
• adopt’ crème solaire – haute protection visage – corps
• Cure Soyeuse, Royalsilk, Soie Royale Soie Royale BIO Cure Soyeuse Soin Hydratation Brillance Intense Cheveux Visage Corps
• Cure Soyeuse, Royalsilk, Soie Royale Soie royale BIO Cure Soyeuse Soin Hydratation Brillance Intense Cheveux Visage Corps
• Cure Soyeuse, Royalsilk, Soie Royale Soie royale BIO Cure Soyeuse Soin Hydratation Brillance Intense Cheveux Visage Corps
• Fesse Time
• MyLubie Lubrifiant naturel à base d’eau texture fluide Calendula & Vitamine E
• sophora japonica night cream
• urtekram baobab aloe vera men deo
• Indy Beauty Arbutin & liquorice glow up moisturizer
• Skinfood Egg White Pore Foam
• Anny Rey Princesse de jour