Xylitol

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that may be plant-derived or synthetic (Paula’s Choice uses the former). In the plant world, xylitol naturally occurs in many fruits and vegetables, including mushrooms, lettuce, strawberries, bananas, and yellow plums. Research has shown that, like the skin-replenishing ingredient glycerine, xylitol hydrates and helps strengthen skin’s barrier. Xylitol also has an influential role in normalizing skin and the natural process keratinocytes (skin cells) go through as they work their way from the lower to the upper layers to the surface. Part of this is due to its ability to squelch damaging factors in skin that would otherwise throw skin’s natural processes off track. Xylitol is considered a nutritive sweetener and when added to foods or foods that naturally contain xylitol are eaten, research has shown it has prebiotic action that positively influences the gut microbiome. Xylitiol is a source of galactooligosaccharides, which are primary responsible for its prebiotic ability. Whether or not this prebiotic benefit also occurs from topical application of xylitol in skin care is unconfirmed; however, topical use clearly has well established benefits for skin.

Related ingredients: Glycerin