An emollient ester of palmitic acid and isopropanol that gives the skin a smooth, soft, dry, non-oily after-feel. Isopropyl palmitate is listed as a common comedogenic ingredient by acne.org.
Functions
Emollient,
Emollient
Emollients fill the micro-cracks in the skin and leave it feeling soft and pleasant to the touch. Emollients are often mistakenly perceived as moisturizing ingredients.
Emollient,
Emollient
Emollients fill the micro-cracks in the skin and leave it feeling soft and pleasant to the touch. Emollients are often mistakenly perceived as moisturizing ingredients.
Fragrance,
Fragrance
Fragrance ingredients add scent to a product or hide ('mask') the undesired aroma of other ingredients.
Fragrance,
Fragrance
Fragrance ingredients add scent to a product or hide ('mask') the undesired aroma of other ingredients.
Binding
Binding
Binding – bonds ingredients together.
Binding
Binding
Binding – bonds ingredients together.
Origin
Botanical,
Botanical
Ingredients derived from plants, mosses, and lichens: extracts, oils, powders, juices and other types of processed plant materials.
Botanical,
Botanical
Ingredients derived from plants, mosses, and lichens: extracts, oils, powders, juices and other types of processed plant materials.
Synthetic,
Synthetic
All kinds of ingredients formulated or produced by a chemical process, or those that have a chemical modification in their structure.
Synthetic,
Synthetic
All kinds of ingredients formulated or produced by a chemical process, or those that have a chemical modification in their structure.
Animal
Animal
Ingredients derived from animals (including birds, fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and insects) or produced by animals (e.g. dairy- and egg-derived ingredients, bee products, silk, pearls, etc.)
Animal
Animal
Ingredients derived from animals (including birds, fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and insects) or produced by animals (e.g. dairy- and egg-derived ingredients, bee products, silk, pearls, etc.)
Isopropyl palmitate is an ester of palmitic acid and isopropanol. Although it is manufactured synthetically for skincare purposes, the raw materials like palmitic acid come from plant oils.
It is mainly used as an emollient, giving the skin a smooth, soft, dry, non-oily feel. It is colorless, odorless, oily liquid.
Isopropyl Palmitate also works as a penetration enhancer, meaning that it helps other compounds to cross the skin’s lipid barrier.
There was one test on rabbit skin that reported that Isopropyl Palmitate may be comedogenic. So if you have acne-prone skin, then you may want to keep an eye on this ingredient (although it is important to remember that rabbit skin is very different to human skin and may not react in the same way). It is also listed among common comedogenic ingredients by acne.org.
Science
1
CIR Safety. Safety Assessment of Alkyl Esters as Used in Cosmetics. International Journal of Toxicology2015, Vol. 34(Supplement 2) 5S-69S
2
Guo, H., Liu, Z., Li, J., Nie, S., & Pan, W. (2006). Effects of isopropyl palmitate on the skin permeation of drugs. Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin, 29(11), 2324–2326.
3
Nguyen, S. H., Dang, T. P., & Maibach, H. I. (2007). Comedogenicity in rabbit: some cosmetic ingredients/vehicles. Cutaneous and ocular toxicology, 26(4), 287–292.
