Ascorbyl Palmitate

Ascorbyl palmitate is a stable, oil-soluble form of vitamin C that is made by combining ascorbic acid with a fatty acid known as palmitic acid. It’s also known as ascorbyl-6 palmitate, and it is effective up to a pH of 6. Pure vitamin C (ascorbic acid) requires a pH of 3.5 or lower to work, making ascorbyl palmitate easier to formulate with.

Although ascorbyl palmitate has antioxidant benefit for skin, research has shown it doesn’t penetrate as well as pure vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and that its conversion to vitamin C isn’t as efficient as other forms (such as tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate). This helps explain why ascorbyl palmitate isn’t the leading form of vitamin C in products meant to address lack of firmness, wrinkles, and discolorations. Research has shown that a modified form of this ingredient, known as trisodium ascorbyl-6 palmitate 2-phosphate overcomes this conversion issue.

The palmitate portion of this ingredient lends it hydrating properties many other forms of vitamin C do not have.

Interestingly, although ascorbyl palmitate is considered a stable form of vitamin C, research has shown other forms possess greater stability and skin can more freely convert those forms to ascorbic acid. However, a comparative study showed that ascorbyl palmitate maintains adequate stability in different types of emulsions when it is encapsulated.

Ascorbyl palmitate is often used in skin care at amounts between 0.1-1% where its antioxidant ability helps stabilize more delicate ingredients, including pure vitamin C; however, it’s not impervious to breaking down with ongoing exposure to heat and oxygen, as data from multiple ingredient suppliers attests.

Ascorbyl palmitate is considered safe in the amounts commonly used in skin care and makeup products. A 2002 study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology suggested that ascorbyl palmitate can cause oxidative damage to skin when the lipid (palmitate) portion oxidizes upon exposure to UVB light. However, it’s important to note that the irradiated keratinocytes (skin cells) in this study weren’t treated with any UV filter, only the ascorbyl palmitate. In essence, this is like testing an umbrella’s ability to keep you dry on a sunny day without rain. The results are inconclusive without a proper control (rain, or, in the case of this study, a UV filter) to measure against. This study also didn’t show what would happen if other antioxidants such as green tea were in the mix.