INOSITOL

📋 Quick facts

Description: INOSITOL — hydration, skin conditioning.

All Functions: hydration, skin conditioning

Quick Facts:

• Category: humectant

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• Inositol is a naturally occurring compound found in seeds, legumes, nuts, and whole cereals
• Research has examined inositol’s use in treating moderate acne and mild psoriasis
• A psoriasis study showed significant improvement in skin symptoms within 4 weeks with a cream containing amino-inositol and urea
• Inositol is used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food industries
• The compound and its derivatives have been studied for various biological effects beyond skincare

⚗️ Chemical Overview

Myo-inositol is an inositol having myo- configuration. It has a role as a member of compatible osmolytes, a nutrient, an EC 3.1.4.11 (phosphoinositide phospholipase C) inhibitor, a mouse metabolite, a Saccharomyces cerevisiae metabolite, an Escherichia coli metabolite, a human metabolite and a Daphnia magna metabolite. D-chiro-Inositol is under investigation in clinical trial NCT03201601 (Evaluation of the Mixture Myoinositol:D-chiro-inositol 3.6:1 in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome). allo-inositol has been reported in Viscum articulatum and Viscum coloratum with data available.

Source(s): ChEBI, DrugBank, 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

Inositol is a small carbohydrate-like molecule that exists in several forms, with myo-inositol being the most common. It’s naturally present in plant-based foods like seeds, legumes, nuts, and whole cereals (Molecules, 2019). In dermatology research, inositol has been studied for two main skin concerns: #1: Acne treatment — a 2015 paper in G Ital Dermatol Venereol evaluated inositol use in patients with moderate acne, recognizing that acne involves multiple factors including hormonal stimulation, sebaceous gland activity, bacterial colonization, and inflammation, though the abstract doesn’t detail specific results. #2: Psoriasis management — a 2022 study in Ital J Dermatol Venerol tested a cream formulation containing 40% urea combined with amino-inositol (a form of inositol) in patients with mild psoriasis.

Over 4 weeks, this formulation showed significant clinical improvements measured by multiple assessment scales, with no significant side effects reported, and patients reported good satisfaction and adherence to treatment. Outside skincare, inositol has broader industrial applications. The Biotechnol Appl Biochem review (2022) focuses mainly on manufacturing methods for producing myo-inositol efficiently at scale, rather than consumer benefits. Additionally, research has identified that phytate (a phosphorylated form of inositol found in plant foods) and its breakdown products may play roles in blocking abnormal calcium buildup in tissues, though this has been studied primarily in non-skin contexts (Molecules, 2019). It’s important to note: the available research on inositol for skin is limited to these specific applications, primarily in combination with other ingredients like urea, and mostly addresses acne and psoriasis rather than general skincare concerns.

📄 Related Research

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

• Pezza M et al. (2015). Inositol and acne. G Ital Dermatol Venereol.
• Li Y et al. (2022). Production of myo-inositol: Recent advance and prospective. Biotechnol Appl Biochem.
• Megna M et al. (2022). Assessment of the efficacy, skin acceptability and cosmetic quality of an adjuvant cream based on 40% urea and amino-inositol in the treatment of mild psoriasis. Ital J Dermatol Venerol.
• Grases F et al. (2019). Key Aspects of Myo-Inositol Hexaphosphate (Phytate) and Pathological Calcifications. Molecules.
• Unknown authors (1998). Inositol hexaniacinate. Altern Med Rev.

🧴 Products Containing INOSITOL

• Nuxe Lait soyeux auto-bronzant corps
• inecto naturals
• apoteket Sollotion SPF 30
• apoteket Sollotion SPF 30
• Ifa,Unnia Unnia Dermo
• Murad Resurgence Renewing Cleansing Cream
• Slammers Energy slammers
• caremare Rodophyta Aloe Vera Balancing Face Wash
• Exialoe Aloe vera puro 100% retinol
• Tónico
• Superdrug Vitamin e intesive all over body cream
• CARE Body lotion
• Yves Rocher Elixir 7.9 roll-on Regard
• nioxin shampoo
• Murad Prebiotic 4-In-1 MultiCleanser
• Burt’s Bees Soothing Toner
• ACURE Seriously Soothing Cleansing Cream
• FILORGA TIME-FILLER Crème Absolue Correction Rides
• Hairlust Hair Formula Gummies for Women
• Belmed,Bel-Zid Bel-zid
• Cien Body Lotion
• Cosmia Shampoing complexe vitaminé
• Filorga Filorga Hydra Filler 50ML
• Corine de Farme Lait hydratant protège & bronze spf 30
• Yves Rocher Pure light
• Yves Rocher Pure light – Nude de teint hydratant
• o2mer brume tonyque hydratante
• Ombia Bodylotion
• Apoteket Solcreme ansikte SPF 30
• Apoteket Sollotion högt skydd SPF 30
• apoteket Sollotion SPF 30
• Apoteket Solcreme ansikte SPF 50
• apoteket Solspray SPF 30
• Christina Silk Uplift
• Splat Global LLC Innova Sensitive
• centella sun cream
• Lactovit Crema
• NaturVital Champú anticaída Refrescante
• Novexpert La Crème au Caramel
• Yves Rocher Sérum activateur d’éclat Glow Énergie C+