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Ingredient glossary

Isopropyl Palmitate

What Isopropyl Palmitate does for your skin, who it suits, and what to watch for.

INCI: Isopropyl Palmitate

Decent support

In short: Isopropyl Palmitate delivers softening and slip, suits most skin types, and the evidence behind it is moderate. One thing to know: may clog acne-prone skin.

What it does
Softening, slip
Best for
Most skin types
Watch out
May clog acne-prone skin
Evidence
Moderate
How long
Straight away
how it was measured

Measured on Surface slip and softness on application, from a light ester emollient; on contact, by mechanism.

See it on the timeline, beside the others →

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Written by Maya Faour, founder and sole writer; not a dermatologistHow we work →

The molecule

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The Glow take

A comfort ingredient, and none the worse for it.

Isopropyl Palmitate is here for feel and moisture, softening the skin and slowing water loss. More comfort than correction.

— Maya

What it does

  • softening
  • slip

moderate evidenceFrequently listed in comedogenicity references and user reports as problematic for breakout-prone and fungal-acne-prone skin.

Why we say this
  • CIR safety review Annual Review of Cosmetic Ingredient Safety Assessments - 2002/2003
  • CIR safety review Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Octyl Palmitate and related ingredients
  • CIR safety review Safety Assessment of Alkyl Esters as Used in Cosmetics

On a label: usually effective at 1-10%.

The ester family, at a glance

21 ester entries in the base, Isopropyl Palmitate among them. 13 of the 21 are an emollient.

  1. C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
  2. Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
  3. Cetearyl Isononanoate
  4. Cetearyl Olivate
  5. Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
  6. Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
  7. Dibutyl Adipate
  8. Ethyl Macadamiate
  9. Ethylhexyl Palmitate
  10. Glyceryl Stearate
  11. Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
  12. Isononyl Isononanoate
  13. Isopropyl Myristate
  14. Isopropyl Palmitate
  15. Myristyl Myristate
  16. PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
  17. Pentaerythrityl Ester
  18. Sorbitan Isostearate
  19. Sorbitan Olivate
  20. Triacetin
  21. Triethyl Citrate
What the family shares: 13 of the 21 are an emollient in the base; the rest carry other roles.In alphabetical order: the base holds nothing that ranks them.

Who it's for, and who should skip it

Tends to suit

  • dry
  • normal

Approach with care

  • acne prone
  • fungal acne prone
  • Irritation riskLow

How it fits each skin type

  • DrySuits
  • CombinationSuits
  • OilySuits
  • SensitiveSuits

Take extra care if any of these apply to you: acne prone, fungal acne prone.

Where it fits in your routine

WhenMorning and evening
Where in the orderAfter your actives, to seal everything in

This one works on contact — there is nothing to wait for.

What that covers, and what it does not
  • Measured on: Surface slip and softness on application, from a light ester emollient.
  • An ester of palmitic acid and isopropanol, a low-viscosity oil used at 1-10% that mixes readily with sebum; slip and softening are contact-instant.
  • The property people actually ask about is the opposite of a benefit -- it rates high for comedogenicity, and clogged pores develop over weeks of repeated use, not at first application -- and the comedogenicity references it appears in are grading assays and case observation, not timed trials.
  • No study reports a durable positive skin outcome to time.

No efficacy-timing trial identified. Ingredient physical chemistry; CIR alkyl ester safety assessments and comedogenicity grading literature only.

Plays well with

  • humectants
  • occlusives

Isopropyl Palmitate, answered

Is Isopropyl Palmitate safe during pregnancy?

Yes. Isopropyl Palmitate is considered safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. As with anything, if you are unsure it is worth a quick word with your doctor or midwife.

Who should avoid Isopropyl Palmitate?

Approach Isopropyl Palmitate with care if any of these apply to you: acne prone and fungal acne prone. It carries a high risk of clogging pores, so acne-prone skin should go carefully.

What concentration of Isopropyl Palmitate actually works?

Isopropyl Palmitate tends to do its job in the 1 to 10% range. Much lower and it is likely underdosed.

Does it clog pores?

4/5
High

A light ester that rates fairly high for clogging pores in isolation.

  • This rating comes from old lab tests on the isolated ingredient, not the finished product.
  • The full formula, how much is used, and your own skin all matter more than one number.
  • If you are acne-prone it is worth noticing, not a reason to avoid it on sight.

Checking a whole product? Paste its list into the pore-clogging checker →

And what "non-comedogenic" on a label actually promises →

Commonly confused with

  • Isopropyl MyristateTwo near-identical ester emollients. Myristate is the lighter one and rates a little higher for clogging pores.

More skincare terms people mix up →

Products with Isopropyl Palmitate

This, for every label you own

One ingredient is easy. A full label is where it gets confusing. The Ingredient Decoder reads any product and tells you the honest truth, ingredient by ingredient.

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Sources & how we reviewed this

  1. CIR safety review Annual Review of Cosmetic Ingredient Safety Assessments - 2002/2003summary page only, the document itself was not read
  2. CIR safety review Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Octyl Palmitate and related ingredientssummary page only, the document itself was not read
  3. CIR safety review Safety Assessment of Alkyl Esters as Used in Cosmeticssummary page only, the document itself was not read

Last reviewed . Educational information about a cosmetic ingredient, not medical advice.

What changed on this page

  • : whether it feeds Malassezia
  • : what the EU regulates
  • : sources

See the full changelog →