Is PALMITIC ACID safe to use in EU cosmetics?

PALMITIC ACID is listed in the EU CosIng ingredient inventory with no direct annex restriction records linked at this time. Always verify against the current official CosIng database before formulating.

What function does PALMITIC ACID serve in cosmetics?

According to the EU CosIng inventory, PALMITIC ACID carries the following function designation(s): SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING.

What other records share CAS 57-10-3?

CAS 57-10-3 may appear across multiple EU annex records. The CAS lookup page shows all Annex II–VI entries sharing this identifier, useful for identifying cross-annex regulatory status of the same chemical substance.

How do I check if my formula contains PALMITIC ACID?

Use the INCI Checker to screen a full ingredient list across selected markets, or use the substance market comparison to review this identity across all supported market datasets.

InventoryRef 7842115/10/2010

PALMITIC ACID

Hexadecanoic acid

PALMITIC ACID is listed in the EU CosIng inventory, but no direct annex records are linked on this page yet.

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Regulatory evidence by market

No rule for this ingredient has been imported for any of the 13 markets tracked here.

That describes this inventory, not the law. No imported rule is not evidence that an ingredient is permitted: a rule may exist under another name or identifier, or in a dataset not yet imported here.

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Chemical identity and properties

PubChem 2D chemical structure for CAS 57-10-3

CAS 57-10-3PubChem CID 985

Palmitic Acid

Hexadecanoic acid is a straight-chain, sixteen-carbon, saturated long-chain fatty acid. It has a role as a plant metabolite, an EC 1.1.1.189 (prostaglandin-E2 9-reductase) inhibitor, a Daphnia magna metabolite and an algal metabolite. It is a long-chain fatty acid and a straight-chain saturated fatty acid. It is a conjugate acid of a hexadecanoate. — ChEBI

IUPAC name: hexadecanoic acid

Molecular formula: C16H32O2
Molecular weight: 256.42 g/mol
Exact mass: 256.240230259 Da
XLogP3: 6.4
Topological polar surface area: 37.3 Å²
Hydrogen-bond donors: 1
Hydrogen-bond acceptors: 2
Covalent units: 1
Defined stereocentres: 0

Also known as

Cetylic acidn-Hexadecanoic acidHexadecylic acid1-Pentadecanecarboxylic acidn-Hexadecoic acidHydrofolPalmitinic acidPentadecanecarboxylic acid

16 more reported names

hexaectylic acidIndustrene 4516Emersol 140Emersol 143Hystrene 8016Hystrene 90161-Hexyldecanoic Acidhexadecoic acidPalmitic acid, purePalmitic acid 95%Kortacid 1698FEMA No. 2832Loxiol EP 278Hydrofol Acid 1690PalmitinsaeureCetyl acid

Open full PubChem record PubChem annotations 3D structure image

External database identifiers

ChEBI:CHEBI:15756
ChEMBL:CHEMBL82293
EPA DTXSID:DTXSID2021602
PubMed:40952780
PubMed:39555722
PubMed:36627075
PubMed:36375515
PubMed:35745142
PubMed:32976987
PubMed:31132328
PubMed:30524225
PubMed:30253173
PubMed:30213948
PubMed:29968805
PubMed:29864471

Retrieved from NIH PubChem on 2026-08-31 by checksum-valid CAS matching. Chemical properties do not replace the regulatory decision on this page.

Inventory details for PALMITIC ACID

INCI name

PALMITIC ACID

Description

Hexadecanoic acid

Record provenance

Inventory reference: 78421
Imported identity: PALMITIC ACID
Source update: 15/10/2010

European Commission CosIng source notes

Annex records for PALMITIC ACID

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Key data

CAS

57-10-3

200-312-9

Restriction

—

Function

SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT: Acting as lubricants on the skin surface providing the skin with a soft and smooth appearance.
SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING: Helping suspensions or dispersions of liquids in a second liquid by reducing the surface tension of the substances to be emulsified.

Official EU ingredient-name evidence

The ingredient name exactly matches the official 2025 EU glossary of common ingredient names.

#18702 · PALMITIC ACID

Ingredients with overlapping formulation functions

PALMAMIDE MIPAEMULSION STABILISING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, SURFACTANT - FOAM BOOSTING,…

PALMETH-2SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING

PALMETH-2 PHOSPHATECLEANSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING

PALMITAMIDOBUTYL GUANIDINE ACETATEANTISTATIC, HAIR CONDITIONING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING

PALMITOYL ASCORBYL GLUCOSIDEFRAGRANCE, HUMECTANT, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING

PALMITOYL ETHYLTRIMONIUM METHOSULFATESURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING

PALMITOYL INULINSKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING

PALMITOYLOXYCAPROYL PALMITOYLOXYCAPRAMIDE MEASKIN CONDITIONING, SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SKIN PROTECTING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTA…

Additional official and scientific sources

11 external databases to check this identity in

Each link searches that source for this identity. What each source is, and its legal weight

ECHA CHEM / Information on chemicals PubChem PUG REST EU Safety Gate cosmetic product alerts ECHA CHEM US EPA CompTox Cosmetic Ingredient Review safety assessments FDA Global Substance Registration System ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards Japan NITE-CHRIP NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards OECD eChemPortal

How PALMITIC ACID appears in the CosIng inventory

The CosIng inventory lists PALMITIC ACID as a cosmetic ingredient and this page links it to 0 annex records. The inventory entry captures names and identifiers, while the annex records show where the substance is prohibited, restricted or positively listed in EU cosmetics law.

PALMITIC ACID is also tagged with 2 cosmetic functions in the official data. Function labels describe intended use, but they do not replace regulatory review of linked annex records before formulation or labelling work.

Frequently asked questions

PALMITIC ACID is listed in the EU CosIng ingredient inventory with no direct annex restriction records linked at this time. Absence of an annex link does not guarantee unrestricted use — always verify against the current official CosIng database before formulating.

According to the EU CosIng inventory, PALMITIC ACID carries the following function designation(s):

CAS 57-10-3 may appear across multiple EU annex records. Viewing the CAS lookup page shows all Annex II–VI entries sharing this identifier, which is useful for identifying cross-annex regulatory status of the same chemical substance.

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Use the INCI Checker to screen a full ingredient list across selected markets, or compare this substance across all supported market datasets.

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Source note for PALMITIC ACID

This page reproduces the CosIng inventory entry for PALMITIC ACID from public European Commission cosmetic ingredient materials and shows linked identifiers even when no direct annex match is currently attached.

Use this inventory page to research PALMITIC ACID and compare linked records, but verify restrictions and legal status against the current official source text and law before making regulatory decisions.

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Tools & next steps

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