Isopropyl palmitate: is it comedogenic? What it does in skincare

What it does

Light emollient oil that softens skin and thins out formulas.

• Binding
• Emollient
• Masking
• Perfuming

Isopropyl palmitate in plain English

Isopropyl palmitate is a light emollient that gives creams and foundations a smooth, silky slip. It is a close chemical cousin of isopropyl myristate and is flagged for the same reason. If you break out easily, it is worth noticing when it sits near the top of the list. Its rating comes from old rabbit-ear tests of the raw ingredient, which can overstate what happens with a finished product on human skin.

Is isopropyl palmitate bad for acne?

It can be. Isopropyl palmitate has a high clog risk rating for acne-prone skin. In Fulton's 1989 rabbit-ear test it scored 4 out of 5 for clogging pores and 1 out of 5 for irritation. That test used the raw ingredient, so a small amount in a finished product may behave differently. If you break out easily, check where it sits on the ingredient list: the higher it appears, the more of it the product usually contains.

Why it is flagged: A close cousin of isopropyl myristate and flagged for the same reason.

Clean routine and still breaking out? The cause may be internal. See what is driving it

Also called

• Isopropyl Palmitate
• IPP
• Isopropyl hexadecanoate
• Palmitic acid isopropyl ester

Related ingredients

• Isopropyl myristateHigh clog riskLight, fast-absorbing oil that helps spread a formula
• Oleyl alcoholModerate clog riskLiquid fatty alcohol that softens skin and helps absorption
• Algae extractHigh clog riskSeaweed extract that hydrates but rates high for clogging pores
• Butyl stearateHigh clog riskEmollient ester that softens skin and adds slip
• Cetyl acetateModerate clog riskEmollient ester that softens skin
• Cocoa butterHigh clog riskRich butter that softens skin but can clog pores