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Common Name(s): Adenine,adenine,purine base,dna repair skin renewal active
CAS Number: N/a
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Supports keratinocyte dna repair by augmenting the purine nucleotide pool for nucleotide excision repair (ner) of uv-induced cpd lesions, contributes to cellular energy as an atp biosynthesis building block, and provides mild anti-proliferative regulatory activity through adenosine receptor modulation.
Why It's Used: Uv-stressed skin cells face a transiently depleted purine pool as ner consumes nucleotides for dna synthesis โ adenine supplementation supports the repair process by maintaining purine availability during the repair window.
How It Works: Adenine enters the purine salvage pathway: adenine + prpp โ amp โ adp โ atp (adenylate kinase). atp supports ner: dna damage recognition (xpc), helicase unwinding (tfiih), endonuclease incision (xpf/xpg), resynthesis polymerisation, and ligation each consume atp. adenine also serves as a nitrogen source for all purine nucleotides (atp, gtp, ctp precursors).
Typically Found In: Anti-aging,dna repair support,uv recovery
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Active ingredient โ antioxidant
Secondary Functions: Free radical scavenging,anti-aging
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 0.001%โ0.5%
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Yes
Halal Status: Yes
Source Notes: Plant-derived extract or synthetic.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 1/5 โ very low
Comedogenicity Rating: 0/5 โ non-comedogenic
Sensitivity Concerns: Non-irritating; well-tolerated.
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Excellent safety profile. ewg score: 1.
Works Well With: Vitamin c,vitamin e,ferulic acid,spf,other antioxidants
Avoid Combining With: No significant incompatibilities
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Purine base complementarity with skin: adenine is the natural degradation product of the skin's endogenous purine turnover โ the gras-level safety of this universal cellular metabolite directly supports cosmetic use.
Last Verified: Cosing database,adenine purine base dna repair skin renewal review
Primary Sources: 2026-03-22