ASCORBYL PALMITATE
Ascorbyl Palmitate is a derivative of ascorbic acid joined to palmitic acid. That link gives it a form that mixes more readily with the oily phase of a formula than ordinary ascorbic acid, which helps explain why the name may appear in creams, balms, and other cosmetics containing oils and waxes.
ASCORBYL PALMITATE: what it is
Ascorbyl Palmitate is a derivative of ascorbic acid joined to palmitic acid. That link gives it a form that mixes more readily with the oily phase of a formula than ordinary ascorbic acid, which helps explain why the name may appear in creams, balms, and other cosmetics containing oils and waxes.
Palmitic acid is the fatty portion of the molecule, while ascorbic acid is vitamin C. Ascorbyl Palmitate is not another name for pure ascorbic acid: it is a distinct compound made by joining those two parts. That distinction matters in preparations designed around lipids.
ASCORBYL PALMITATE: what it does in cosmetics
In cosmetics, Ascorbyl Palmitate can serve as an antioxidant for the formula. In practical terms, it can help limit oxidation-related changes in susceptible ingredients, especially oily ones; this is not a promise that a product will fade dark spots, treat wrinkles, or deliver a clinical skin result.
It may also contribute to a product's fragrance. A 2024 study examined creams and emulgels containing 2% Ascorbyl Palmitate and compared liposomal with non-liposomal versions; encapsulation increased the amount measured in the stratum corneum. That finding concerns those particular formulations and does not, on its own, establish a cosmetic benefit for every product containing this ingredient.
Products containing this ingredient
See which products include it and the name used in each composition.
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