PROPYL GALLATE
Propyl gallate, shown on labels as PROPYL GALLATE, is an ester of gallic acid. It is not a botanical extract: it is a defined substance made by linking gallic acid to a propyl group. That distinction matters for someone looking for plant-derived ingredients, because the name refers to gallic acid but does not, by itself, identify a plant or an oil.
PROPYL GALLATE: what it is
Propyl gallate, shown on labels as PROPYL GALLATE, is an ester of gallic acid. It is not a botanical extract: it is a defined substance made by linking gallic acid to a propyl group. That distinction matters for someone looking for plant-derived ingredients, because the name refers to gallic acid but does not, by itself, identify a plant or an oil.
It is also not the same as free gallic acid. The esterified form gives propyl gallate its own identity and allows it to be used as a technical ingredient in preparations that need to preserve components more prone to oxidation. The name on a label therefore points to a specific substance, rather than to a mixture of compounds from a plant raw material.
PROPYL GALLATE: what it does in cosmetics
In cosmetics, propyl gallate mainly works as a formula antioxidant. In practical terms, it helps limit oxidation of sensitive components, especially in preparations containing oily raw materials; this can help preserve the formula's characteristics over its shelf life. It can also be part of a fragrance composition, although its presence alone does not determine how the finished product smells.
Here, “antioxidant” refers first of all to the stability of the product's ingredients, not to a promise to treat or protect skin. Studies involving ingestion and animal models exist in other contexts, but they do not answer what a cosmetic containing propyl gallate does on skin. For someone choosing a product, the plausible benefit is help with preserving the formula itself.
PROPYL GALLATE: conditions and care
The available cosmetic safety assessment considered concentrations up to 1%. That value does not replace an assessment of the finished formula, especially when a product combines several ingredients with sensitizing potential.
Products containing this ingredient
See which products include it and the name used in each composition.
