Adenosine
Also known as Adenosine, 9-beta-D-Ribofuranosyladenine, Adenine riboside
“CIR Expert Panel says: safe as used in cosmetics.”
The CIR Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety concluded in 2024 that adenosine and four related ingredients are safe in cosmetics in present practices of use and concentration (IJT 43(1_suppl):50S-63S, 2024; PMID 38146080). Clinical studies demonstrate adenosine improves skin wrinkles, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration with no adverse effects observed; adenosine-loaded microneedle patches achieved comparable results at 140-fold lower doses than topical cream application (Kang et al. 2018, PMID 29574973). Adenosine is also approved in South Korea (KFDA) as a functional cosmetic ingredient for wrinkle improvement at 0.04%.
Anti-wrinkle activity: adenosine is approved by the KFDA as a functional ingredient for wrinkle improvement at 0.04%; clinical studies confirm improvements in skin wrinkles, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration
Skin-conditioning agent: functions as a miscellaneous skin-conditioning agent in cosmetics
CIR Expert Panel concluded adenosine and related compounds are safe in cosmetics in present practices of use and concentration (PMID 38146080, 2024)
Endogenous nucleoside: adenosine is a naturally occurring molecule in all living cells, contributing to its favorable safety profile; serves as a building block for ATP, RNA, and coenzymes
- · No significant safety concerns identified at cosmetic use concentrations; the CIR Expert Panel found the ingredient safe in present practices of use
Safety Assessment of Adenosine as Used in Cosmetics (Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety; Int J Toxicol 43(1_suppl):50S-63S, 2024)
“the five adenosine ingredients reviewed in this report are safe in cosmetics in the present practices of use and concentration described in this safety assessment”— PubMed abstract, PMID 38146080