The ingredient, explained

Retinyl Palmitate

Selected evidence concerns human topical combination.

RetinoidSkin conditioning

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Ingredient guide

What it is and what it does

Retinol, hexadecanoate

About this ingredient: EU CosIng ingredient registry (via Open Beauty Facts taxonomy) ↗

Retinoid: Vitamin A or a vitamin A-like compound. This is a compound category; individual retinoids have different research and uses.
Skin conditioning: A broad cosmetic role for maintaining skin condition. It does not identify a particular clinical benefit.

Function definitions: National Cancer Institute: Retinoid definition ↗ · European Commission ingredient function definitions (SCCNFP/0299/00, pages 16 to 20) ↗

Registry functions describe possible formulation roles, not results for a finished product. A dictionary entry is not an approval or a safety assessment.

A closer look

What the research shows

Selected research

Both creams improved measured skin-surface parameters after 60 days. Acne lesion counts declined from baseline in both regimens; adding an oral supplement improved some inflammatory outcomes.

What this does not tell us

Eleven men; single-blind split-face comparison of two finished creams, without vehicle. Retinyl palmitate contribution was not isolated. All 184 women used the same multi-active cream; the comparison tests an added oral supplement, not retinyl palmitate alone or cream versus vehicle.

Sources for this summary. PubMed 29363259 ↗PubMed 35545875 ↗

Research review checked Oct 1, 2026

Bounded review of 98 local candidate titles, selected relevant local abstracts, and targeted primary-source web searches. Not an exhaustive systematic review.

Ingredient research is not proof that a product containing this ingredient works.

Read the 2 selected studies

Human oral and topical research · n=184
Efficacy of a retinoid complex plus anti-inflammatory component cream alone or in combination with prebiotic food supplement in adult acne: A randomized, assessor-blinded, parallel-group, multicenter trial on 184 women. ↗
Journal of cosmetic dermatology · 2022
Human research on a combination · n=11
Comparative efficacy of two anti-aging products containing retinyl palmitate in healthy human volunteers. ↗
Journal of cosmetic dermatology · 2018

Follow the formula

Products containing this ingredient

All 96 products ↗

From the Serenfold edit. Linked by the ingredient list, without an efficacy ranking.

La-roche-posay

La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum

Serums · 20 linked ingredients

Inside the formula

Names and identifiers

Registry identity