Isopropyl Palmitate: What It Is, What It Does, and Is It Safe?

If you read the back of a moisturizer, you will often see isopropyl palmitate near the top of the list. The name sounds harsh, but the ingredient is a well studied emollient, an ingredient that softens and smooths skin. Here is what it is, what safety reviewers found, and how to spot it on a label.

What is isopropyl palmitate?

Isopropyl palmitate is an ester (a compound made when an acid joins with an alcohol). The Cosmetic Ingredient Review, or CIR (the independent expert panel that reviews the safety of cosmetic ingredients in the United States), defines it as the ester of isopropyl alcohol (the alcohol in rubbing alcohol) and palmitic acid (a fatty acid). (CIR, Amended Safety Assessment of Alkyl Esters, 2013)

Its label name, called the INCI name (the standard ingredient name used on cosmetic labels), is simply "Isopropyl Palmitate."

What does it do in a cream?

CIR lists its jobs in cosmetics as a skin conditioning agent (an ingredient that keeps skin soft and in good condition) and emollient, a binder and a fragrance ingredient. (CIR, 2013)

The CIR report also notes that it is used in creams and other topical products as a lipid layer penetration enhancer, which means it helps other ingredients move into the outer, oily layer of the skin. (CIR, 2013)

It is a common choice. In data the FDA gathered from manufacturers in 2013, isopropyl palmitate was reported in 1,125 cosmetic products. (CIR, 2013)

Is isopropyl palmitate safe?

CIR first found isopropyl palmitate safe as used in cosmetics in 1982 and reaffirmed that finding in 2005. (CIR, 2013) In 2013 the panel concluded that the alkyl esters in its review, isopropyl palmitate among them, are safe in the present practices of use and concentration when formulated to be non-irritating. (Fiume et al., International Journal of Toxicology, 2015)

The human data summarized by CIR:

• In three patch studies with 160 people, the pure ingredient was held on the skin for 24 hours. Five scores of 0.5 on a 4 point irritation scale were recorded, and every other score was 0. (CIR, 2013)
• It was not a sensitizer (it did not trigger an allergic skin reaction) when tested on 102 people. (CIR, 2013)
• A formula with 45.6% isopropyl palmitate did not irritate 10 people in a 10 day test, and it was not phototoxic (no skin reaction when combined with light). (CIR, 2013)

In the US, the FDA does not approve cosmetic ingredients before they go on sale, except for color additives (other than coal tar hair dyes), and companies are legally responsible for the safety of their products and ingredients. (FDA, Cosmetic Ingredients) That is why independent reviews like CIR's matter.

How to spot it on a label

Look for "Isopropyl Palmitate." US cosmetic labels list ingredients in descending order of predominance, so the ones present in the largest amounts come first. Ingredients at 1% or less may be listed in any order after the rest. (FDA, Cosmetics Labeling Guide)

Want to check a full label? Paste any label into our free Ingredient Label Decoder and see what each ingredient does in plain words.

You can see every ingredient in our cream, with what each one does, on our Ingredients page.

Questions people ask

Is isopropyl palmitate the same as rubbing alcohol?

No. It is made from isopropyl alcohol, but once the alcohol joins palmitic acid it becomes an ester, a different compound that works as an emollient. (CIR, 2013)

What does comedogenic mean, and how are those ratings made?

Comedogenic means likely to clog pores and cause comedones (blackheads and whiteheads). Many ingredient lists you see online trace back to animal tests of raw ingredients, which assumed that any finished product containing them would clog pores too. When researchers tested finished products on people, they concluded that products made with comedogenic ingredients are not necessarily comedogenic. (Draelos and DiNardo, Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2006)

Is isopropyl palmitate safe?

The CIR expert panel has found it safe as used in cosmetics, first in 1982, again in 2005, and as part of its 2013 alkyl esters review, when formulated to be non-irritating. (Fiume et al., 2015)

Questions about our cream? Call us at (800) 319-5114 and you will talk to a real person.