Retinyl Palmitate
AKA “VITAMIN A PALMITATE, 79-81-2, Retinol palmitate, Retinol, hexadecanoate, all-trans-Retinyl palmitate, Arovit, Optovit-A, Retinyl hexadecanoate, Vitamin A Solubilized
Skin Conditioning
Ingredient Facts
Retinyl palmitate
AKA: VITAMIN A PALMITATE, 79-81-2, Retinol palmitate, Retinol, Hexadecanoate, All-trans-Retinyl palmitate, Arovit, Optovit-A, Retinyl hexadecanoate, Vitamin A Solubilized
Skin Conditioning · Miscellaneous · EWG: 4
Synthetic
Skin Conditioner
Retinoid
Not Clean
Retinyl Palmitate is a naturally-occurring phenyl analogue of retinol (vitamin A) with potential antineoplastic and chemopreventive activities. As the most common form of vitamin A taken for dietary supplementation, retinyl palmitate binds to and activates retinoid receptors, thereby inducing cell differentiation and decreasing cell proliferation. This agent also inhibits carcinogen-induced neoplastic transformation, induces apoptosis in some cancer cell types, and exhibits immunomodulatory properties. (NCI04)
Formula
C36H60O2
Mol. Weight
524.90
CAS #
79-81-2
Form
Liquid
State
Solid
See origin →
Functions
Skin Conditioning
A catch-all term for ingredients that improve how skin looks and feels — softer, smoother, more supple. The workhorse behind most moisturizers.
Miscellaneous
Antioxidant protection
Supports cell turnover
Smooths skin texture
Traditional Use
Retinyl palmitate is a stable, long-chain ester form of retinol (vitamin A) developed in the mid-20th century. Created to overcome retinol's instability and penetration challenges, making vitamin A more practical for cosmetic formulations beginning in the 1980s-1990s.
Skin Types
all-skin-types
Best For
Wrinkles
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Safe
Caution
EWG
4
CIR
Safe as used
Pregnancy
Caution
CIR Safety Findings
medical-approval
all-shades-safe
Phototoxicity Concern
Regulatory Status
USApermitted
EUrestricted
JAPANrestricted
CANADArestricted
Novel Cyclized Hexapeptide-9 Outperforms Retinol Against Skin Aging: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Active- and Vehicle-Controlled Clinical Trial.
Chang H, Tao K, Yang Y, Wang Y, Ge M et al.
Journal of cosmetic dermatology, 2025
Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Retinyl Palmitate and Retinol
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel
International Journal of Toxicology
Retinol
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Retinol (Vitamin A)
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Retinyl Palmitate
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Prospective, randomized, double-blind assessment of topical bakuchiol and retinol for facial photoageing.
Dhaliwal S, Rybak I, Ellis SR, Notay M, Trivedi M et al.
The British journal of dermatology, 2019
Retinol (Vitamin A)
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
Mitigation of retinol-induced skin irritation by physiologic lipids: Evidence from patch testing.
Fang Y, Ying Y, Xiaolan W, Lin S, Chenlan X et al.
Journal of cosmetic dermatology, 2024
Retinol and its esters
Health Canada
Health Canada Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist
A retinyl palmitate-loaded solid lipid nanoparticle system: effect of surface modification with dicetyl phosphate on skin permeation in vitro and anti
Jeon HS, Seo JE, Kim MS, Kang MH, Oh DH et al.
International journal of pharmaceutics, 2013
Improvement of naturally aged skin with vitamin A (retinol).
Kafi R, Kwak HS, Schumacher WE, Cho S, Hanft VN et al.
Archives of dermatology, 2007
Tensile properties and contours of aging facial skin. A controlled double-blind comparative study of the effects of retinol, melibiose-lactose and the
Piérard-Franchimont C, Castelli D, Cromphaut IV, Bertin C, Ries G et al.
Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI), 1998
Human Skin Aging and the Anti-Aging Properties of Retinol.
Quan T
Biomolecules, 2023
Retinol Wrinkle Reduction Clinical Trial
Randhawa M, Wang S, Leyden JJ, Cula GO, Pagnoni A, Southall MD
Dermatologic Surgery, 2015
Revision of the scientific Opinion (SCCS/1576/16) on Vitamin A (Retinol, Retinyl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate)
Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS)
European Commission — SCCS
Efficacy and mechanism of retinyl palmitate against UVB-i...
Peng Shu, Menggeng Li, Nan Zhao, Yuan Wang, Lanyue Zhang, Zhiyun Du
Frontiers in pharmacology, 2023
Efficacy and mechanism of retinyl palmitate against UVB-i...
Peng Shu, Menggeng Li, Nan Zhao, Yuan Wang, Lanyue Zhang, Zhiyun Du
Frontiers in pharmacology, 2023
Efficacy and mechanism of retinyl palmitate against UVB-i...
Peng Shu, Menggeng Li, Nan Zhao, Yuan Wang, Lanyue Zhang, Zhiyun Du
Frontiers in pharmacology, 2023
Chitosan/β-glucan/cystine multifunctional hydrogel loading retinol liposomes for efficiently treating UV-induced skin damage and aging.
Song Q, Wang Y, Tan Z, Xiang H, Liu Q et al.
Carbohydrate polymers, 2026
Verified Jun 2026
Data: PubChem · CosIng · EWG · CIR