VALINE

Description: VALINE — amino acid, part of the skin natural moisturizing factor (NMF).

All Functions: amino acid, part of the skin natural moisturizing factor (NMF)

Quick Facts:

• Category: humectant

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• Valine is an essential amino acid with applications in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and skincare
• A valine-containing peptide (KPV) showed protective effects against airborne pollution damage in skin cells
• Valine derivatives can improve how drugs penetrate and absorb through skin
• Research on valine in skincare is still emerging—sources are limited and focused on specific applications

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.

🧪 VALINE

VALINE

CAS Number: 516-06-3 / 640-68-6 / 72-18-4

Also Known As: —

Category: humectant

EC Number: 208-220-0 / 211-368-9 / 200-773-6

Korean Name: 발린

2-Amino-3-methylbutanoic acid

VALINE is a humectant ingredient used in skincare formulations.

🌍 Regulatory Status

📊 Comedogenicity

📚 Research & Evidence

🔬 The Science

Valine is an essential amino acid, meaning your body cannot manufacture it and must obtain it from external sources like food or skincare products (Microb Cell Fact, 2021). The ingredient appears in skincare primarily in two ways: as a standalone component and as part of peptides or compound structures. #1: Pollution protection through peptide form. A peptide called KPV (Lysine-Proline-Valine), derived from a naturally occurring hormone, was tested in human skin cells exposed to fine airborne particulate matter (PM10). When applied at 50 μg/mL, KPV restored cell viability that had been damaged by pollution exposure and reduced inflammatory signaling molecules (IL-1β) (Tissue Cell, 2025).

The mechanism involved reducing harmful free radicals (ROS) and blocking cell death pathways, suggesting valine-containing peptides may help protect skin from environmental pollution damage. #2: Improved skin penetration when combined with other actives. When valine esters were chemically paired with ibuprofen (an anti-inflammatory), the resulting compounds showed significantly better absorption through skin membranes compared to ibuprofen alone in laboratory testing using porcine skin (RSC Adv, 2020). This suggests valine derivatives could act as carriers to help other skincare ingredients penetrate more effectively, though this research was done in vitro and specifically studied ibuprofen pairing. Important context: The available research on valine in consumer skincare is limited.

Source 3 studied a specific peptide containing valine in controlled laboratory conditions with skin cells, not human skin. Source 4 examined valine’s role as a chemical modifier to enhance drug delivery rather than a standalone skincare benefit. Sources 1, 2, and 5 discuss valine primarily in medical, pharmaceutical, or industrial contexts rather than cosmetic skincare applications. No sources provided data on typical concentrations used in consumer products or long-term human efficacy studies.

💧 Skin Type Compatibility

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

🧴 Products Containing VALINE

• BCL Kansosan Skincare Moisture Base AQ
• RETINOL RETINOL SKIN CREAM
• MyProtein Hair & body wash
• Bioélixire Odżywka do włosów zniszczonych
• Tío Nacho Tío Nacho Anti-Caida Engrosador
• marc anthony argan shampoo
• Pacifica Cosmic Hemp Balancing Face Wash
• NIOD Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex (MMHC2)
• The Ordinary The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution (Solução tonificante de ácido glicólico 7%)
• ordinary suncream
• dr groot shampoo
• Paul Mitchell Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Shampoo
• collagen face mask
• OPLAPLEX Leave In – Numéro 5
• Sephora Beauty insider
• Olaplex No. 8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask
• FILORGA TIME-FILLER Crème Absolue Correction Rides
• CeraVe Hydrating cream-to-foam cleanser
• Filorga Filorga Hydra Filler 50ML
• CeraVe Hyrdrating Cream To Foam Cleanser

📄 Related Research

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

• Gao H et al. (2021). Engineering of microbial cells for L-valine production: challenges and opportunities. Microb Cell Fact.
• Kuwajima M et al. (2021). Valine metabolites analysis in ECHS1 deficiency. Mol Genet Metab Rep.
• Sung J et al. (2025). Lysine-Proline-Valine peptide mitigates fine dust-induced keratinocyte apoptosis and inflammation by regulating oxidative stress and modulating the MAPK/NF-κB pathway. Tissue Cell.
• Janus E et al. (2020). Enhancement of ibuprofen solubility and skin permeation by conjugation with l-valine alkyl esters. RSC Adv.
• Adel Ali Youssef A et al. (2024). Formulation and In Vitro-Ex vivo Evaluation of Cannabidiol and Cannabidiol-Valine-Hemisuccinate Loaded Lipid-Based Nanoformulations for Ocular Applications. Int J Pharm.