Palmitic Acid
Palmitic Acid is a cosmetic ingredient used as a skin conditioning - emollient, surfactant - emulsifying agent. It appears in about 2% of cosmetic products in our 90,000+ product dataset. It is regulated in the EU (listed in a Cosmetics Regulation annex). PubMed carries 677 studies of its skin or topical use.
| INCI name | PALMITIC ACID |
| Function | SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING |
| CAS number | 57-10-3 |
| EC number | 200-312-9 |
| Prevalence | 2,261 products (2.44% of dataset) |
| Most used in | Skincare |
| EU status | Restricted (annex ) |
| Scientific studies | 677 on PubMed (skin/cosmetic/topical) |
| Monthly searches | 5,400 |
Used in
Face Cleansers 25.1%General Moisturizers 16.1%Mascaras 13.7%Eye Moisturizers 5%Body Lotions 4.8%Body Washes 3.9%
Frequently asked
- What does Palmitic Acid do in skincare?
- Palmitic Acid functions as a skin conditioning - emollient, surfactant - emulsifying agent in cosmetic formulas.
- Is Palmitic Acid allowed in cosmetics?
- Yes, but it is regulated in the EU — it appears in a Cosmetics Regulation annex with usage conditions.
- What products contain Palmitic Acid?
- It is most commonly found in Skincare products, especially face cleansers (25.1% of its uses).
Manufacturers with experience using Palmitic Acid
Match with vetted US contract manufacturers that have hands-on experience formulating with this ingredient.