Retinyl Palmitate
Vitamin A ester · INCI: Retinyl Palmitate
Reviewed by Elysiana Aguilar, master esthetician
How we read it
Not a pore-clogger. Considered safe for acne-prone skin.
Is Retinyl Palmitate comedogenic?
No. Retinyl Palmitate isn't considered pore-clogging, and we read it as safe to use on acne-prone skin. That doesn't make it right for everyone, but congestion isn't the thing to watch for with it.
Why we read it this way
Retinyl palmitate is vitamin A joined to palmitic acid, among the mildest of the common retinoid forms because skin has to convert it in several steps before it is active. It is used in small amounts in creams and sunscreens. We read it as not pore-clogging.
The nuance
Some lists flag it, and its name sits beside ingredients we flag ourselves, such as palmitic acid and isopropyl palmitate. Those are texture ingredients used in larger amounts. This is a vitamin A source used in very small amounts, and our reading stands.
Where it shows up
Anti-aging moisturizers, eye creams, sunscreens, foundations and lip products list it, usually near the end of the label as an added vitamin.
Names we read the same way
- Vitamin A Palmitate
Related ingredients
One ingredient rarely tells the whole story. The acne ingredient checker reads everything in a product at once, and there is more on what comedogenic means. Also in the guides: What causes acne.