What is isopropyl palmitate in skincare?
Isopropyl palmitate is an ester formed from isopropyl alcohol and palmitic acid, a fatty acid from palm or coconut oil. It is a clear, light, odourless liquid used as an emollient, a thickener and a texture enhancer.
Its appeal to formulators is feel: it gives products a silky, fast-absorbing slip without the heaviness of a true oil, which is why it appears widely in moisturisers, cleansers, makeup and hair products.
What skin concerns does isopropyl palmitate treat?
It softens and smooths the skin surface and reduces water loss, so it contributes to hydration in dry and normal skin. It also helps other ingredients spread evenly.
The significant caveat is comedogenicity. Isopropyl palmitate rates high on comedogenicity assessments of dermatological ingredients, and is one of the esters most often implicated in cosmetic acne. If you break out in small bumps from products that otherwise seem light, this is a reasonable ingredient to suspect.
What ingredients are best paired with isopropyl palmitate?
On dry or mature skin it works well alongside ceramides, glycerin, hyaluronic acid and shea butter in a rich moisturiser.
If your skin is oily or acne-prone, look instead for squalane, caprylic/capric triglyceride or jojoba, which deliver a similar lightweight feel without the pore-clogging risk. Its close relative ethylhexyl palmitate behaves much the same way. Take our Skin Quiz.
What is dry skin?
Dry skin – xerosis in clinical terms – is a skin type that lacks oil rather than water. It feels tight after cleansing, looks flaky or rough, may show fine cracking, and often reads dull because the uneven surface scatters light.
It is worth separating dry skin from dehydrated skin: dryness is a lack of lipids and is usually lifelong, while dehydration is a temporary lack of water and can happen to oily skin too. Many people have both at once.
What causes dry skin?
At the root is a compromised moisture barrier. When ceramides, cholesterol, fatty acids and natural moisturising factors run low, water evaporates out of the skin faster than it can be replaced.
Age, genetics, cold weather and low humidity, long hot showers, harsh surfactants, over-exfoliation, some medications, and conditions such as eczema and psoriasis all deplete those lipids. Consistent moisturising is the single intervention with the strongest evidence behind it.
What ingredients are best for dry skin?
Rebuild in layers. Humectants such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, urea and panthenol draw water in; emollients such as squalane, jojoba oil and shea butter smooth the surface; and occlusives seal the whole thing in.
Ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids are the priority, because they replace exactly what a dry barrier is missing, with niacinamide helping the skin make more of its own. Apply to damp skin, and swap foaming cleansers for cream or oil-based ones. Take our Skin Quiz to find the right combination for your skin.
