PALMITIC ACID

Description: PALMITIC ACID — fatty acid, emulsion stabilizer, thickener.

All Functions: fatty acid, emulsion stabilizer, thickener

Quick Facts:

• Category: emollient

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• Palmitic acid is a saturated fatty acid naturally present in skin and the body
• High levels of palmitic acid trigger inflammatory responses in immune cells and metabolic tissues
• Palmitic acid can activate specific inflammatory signaling pathways (NF-κB)
• In skin, palmitic acid can worsen atopic dermatitis symptoms by activating nerve and mast cell responses
• Palmitic acid’s effects differ from other fatty acids like linoleic acid in how it influences skin cells

Safety tier is a starting heuristic from regulatory status and comedogenic rating, not a dermatological verdict — see our Terms for the full disclaimer. Research confidence reflects how many real cited studies back this ingredient, not the strength of their findings.

🧪 PALMITIC ACID

PALMITIC ACID

CAS Number: 57-10-3

Also Known As: —

Category: emollient

EC Number: 200-312-9

Korean Name: 팔미틱애씨드

Hexadecanoic acid

PALMITIC ACID is an emollient ingredient used in skincare formulations.

🌍 Regulatory Status

📊 Comedogenicity

📚 Research & Evidence

🔬 The Science

Palmitic acid (PA) is a saturated fatty acid that plays a complex role in skin health—one that researchers are still working to fully understand. #1: In systemic inflammation, palmitic acid appears to trigger what scientists call “metainflammation” (a low-grade, chronic inflammatory state). According to *Journal of Advanced Research* (2025), when macrophages (immune cells) are exposed to high palmitic acid, they release tiny membrane-bound packages called exosomes that carry inflammatory signals. These exosomes can travel to other tissues—including liver, muscle, and fat—and activate inflammatory pathways, particularly the NF-κB signaling cascade, which amplifies the production of inflammatory molecules. This mechanism has been observed in blood samples from overweight and obese individuals.

#2: In the skin itself, palmitic acid appears to worsen atopic dermatitis (AD), a chronic itchy skin condition. Research in *Journal of Inflammation Research* (2025) found that when palmitic acid is introduced into the spinal nervous system during AD induction in mice, it causes acute scratching and aggravates skin lesions. This happens through activation of two specific receptors: TRPV1 (a pain and heat sensor on nerve endings) and MRGPRD (a receptor on immune cells). The same journal also reports (2026, *Inflammation Research*) that increased palmitic acid in skin promotes a cascade: it causes nerve cells to produce more substance P (a signaling molecule), which then triggers mast cells to release tryptase (an inflammatory enzyme), perpetuating the AD cycle.

#3: Palmitic acid’s effects on skin differ meaningfully from other fatty acids. *Nutrients* (2023) compared palmitic acid, linoleic acid (an omega-6 fat), and arachidonic acid in sebocytes (oil-producing skin cells). The study found that linoleic acid and palmitic acid triggered largely distinct gene expression patterns—linoleic acid specifically regulated cholesterol production, hormone signaling, and cell differentiation genes, while palmitic acid’s effects were different. This suggests these fatty acids have separate biological roles in skin. It’s important to note: the research showing palmitic acid’s inflammatory effects comes primarily from studies examining *high levels* or *dietary excess* of this fatty acid, and from controlled laboratory and animal studies.

Palmitic acid occurs naturally in skin lipids and many foods, so the relationship between topical skincare use and these systemic inflammatory mechanisms remains unclear from these sources alone.

💧 Skin Type Compatibility

Derived from this ingredient’s irritancy potential and comedogenicity rating against the needs of each skin type — e.g. oily and acne-prone skin are marked down for pore-clogging ingredients, sensitive skin for irritants. A starting heuristic, not a dermatological verdict.

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

🧴 Products Containing PALMITIC ACID

• Eucerin pH5
• atrix
• nivea nivea cream
• Nivéa Nivea soft
• BRYNILD GRUPPEN AS Nivea Men Body & Face Cream 150ml
• Nivea Nivea lait démaquillant
• unilever, dove DermaSpa Nutri Essence³
• Henkel, Göt2b got2b kleber spiking wax
• Henkel, Schwarzkopf 3 Wetter Taft Power Wax
• Henkel, Göt2b Matt-Paste Strand Matte
• Glynt Derma Shampoo
• Daytox Daytox Cleansing Foam
• alverde Naturkosmetik Skin Food Körperbutter
• Lacura Fußbalsam – Oliven- & Rosmarinöl
• Seba Med Seifenfreies Waschstück
• BRYNILD GRUPPEN AS Nivea Roll-On Magnesium 50ml
• Essence Essence I Love Extreme 01 Black Volume Mascara
• MAXIM Markenprodukte, Pure & Basic Men Gentlemen’s Rasiergel, sensitiv mit Aloe Vera & Panthenol
• Panda Baby Rathmal Baby Sope with Ixora Coccinea Flower Extract
• Charlotte Tilbury magic eye

📄 Related Research

Matched by search — not necessarily verified support for every statement above.

• Luo H et al. (2025). Macrophage exosomes mediate palmitic acid-induced metainflammation by transferring miR-3064-5p to target IκBα and activate NF-κB signaling. J Adv Res.
• Linsley CS et al. (2019). Preparation of photothermal palmitic acid/cholesterol liposomes. J Biomed Mater Res B Appl Biomater.
• Yang J et al. (2025). Neural-Inflammation Mechanism of Spinal Palmitic Acid Promoting Atopic Dermatitis in Mice. J Inflamm Res.
• Chen B et al. (2026). Palmitic acid aggravates atopic dermatitis by regulating SGK1/NEDD4L-involved cutaneous neuroimmune inflammation through driving TRPV1 and MRGPRB2 S-palmitoylation. Inflamm Res.
• Kovács D et al. (2023). Linoleic Acid Induced Changes in SZ95 Sebocytes-Comparison with Palmitic Acid and Arachidonic Acid. Nutrients.