Ingredient glossary
Alanine
On your shelf ✓What Alanine does for your skin, who it suits, and what to watch for.
INCI: Alanine · Also: L-Alanine
In short: Alanine delivers hydration and conditioning, suits most skin types, and the evidence behind it is limited.
- What it does
- Hydration, conditioning
- Best for
- Most skin types
- Evidence
- Limited
The molecule
The Glow take
Nice to have, and nothing to overthink.
Alanine plays a quiet supporting role, rounding out a formula rather than being the reason you buy it.
— Maya
What it does
- hydration
- conditioning
weak evidenceMeasured directly among the major NMF components in the 2019 quantification study. Products carrying alanine in amino acid blends patch tested clean, but those tests measured safety, not benefit, and no study tests alanine alone. CIR judged the alpha amino acids safe as used.
Who it's for, and who should skip it
Tends to suit
- dry
- dehydrated
- normal
Approach with care
No specific group flagged to avoid it.
- Clogs poresLow
- Irritation riskLow
How it fits each skin type
- DrySuits
- CombinationSuits
- OilySuits
- SensitiveSuits
Where it fits in your routine
Plays well with
- humectants
- hyaluronic acid
- glycerin
Alanine, answered
Is Alanine safe during pregnancy?
Yes. Alanine is considered safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. As with anything, if you are unsure it is worth a quick word with your doctor or midwife.
Who should avoid Alanine?
No specific group is flagged to avoid Alanine. It is well tolerated by most skin. Still, introduce anything new one product at a time.
What concentration of Alanine actually works?
Its concentration is rarely printed on the label, so use the ingredient list as your clue: near the top third it is likely doing real work, near the bottom it is more of a sprinkle.
This, for every label you own
One ingredient is easy. A full label is where it gets confusing. The Ingredient Decoder reads any product and tells you the honest truth, ingredient by ingredient.
Sources & how we reviewed this
- PMID 24335967abstract only, the full text is paywalled
- DOI 10.1038/s41598-019-54454-xabstract only, the full text is paywalled