Methyl Palmitate ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is used mainly as an emollient and skin-conditioning agent, adding slip and a light waxy feel to creams, lotions, balms, and makeup. It can also help dissolve or disperse other oil-soluble ingredients.
What does Methyl Palmitate do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is used mainly as an emollient and skin-conditioning agent, adding slip and a light waxy feel to creams, lotions, balms, and makeup. It can also help dissolve or disperse other oil-soluble ingredients.
Is Methyl Palmitate clean?
From a clean beauty perspective, this ingredient is generally low-friction, with low irritation potential and no common restricted-list concern when cosmetic-grade. The main quality questions are source transparency and residual processing impurities rather than the molecule itself.
Is Methyl Palmitate sustainable?
This material is commonly made from plant-derived fatty acids, often from palm or other vegetable oils, though the supply chain can vary. It is expected to be readily biodegradable, with the biggest sustainability note being responsible sourcing of the fatty feedstock.
Is Methyl Palmitate COSMOS-approved?
It can align with COSMOS-natural standards when made from permitted natural-origin feedstocks using allowed esterification chemistry. From a Green Chemistry perspective, it fits reasonably well because it can use renewable lipid feedstocks, is biodegradable, and does not require high-concern solvents in typical production.
How does Methyl Palmitate work chemically?
The molecule is a saturated C16 fatty ester, nonionic and highly lipophilic, which explains its emollient feel, low water solubility, and good compatibility with oils and waxes. It is relatively oxidation-stable because the carbon chain is saturated, and it is generally stable in anhydrous or near-neutral systems but can hydrolyze under strongly acidic or alkaline conditions.
Last updated 2026-05-13