croton oil

Croton oil is a potent, viscous liquid expressed from the seeds of the plant *Croton tiglium*. It contains high concentrations of phorbol esters, primarily **12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)**, which are powerful activators of **protein kinase C (PKC)**. In the field of aesthetic dermatology, croton oil is the key additive in deep chemical peels, such as the **Baker-Gordon** and **Hetter** formulas. It functions by increasing the depth and intensity of phenol penetration into the dermis, thereby promoting significant neocollagenesis and skin tightening to treat deep rhytides, severe photoaging, and scarring. Outside of clinical use, croton oil is a standard tool in biomedical research used to induce acute inflammatory models (e.g., ear edema, dermatitis) and as a classical tumor promoter in two-stage mouse models of skin carcinogenesis.

Other names

Croton tiglium oilOleum tigliicroton seed oil