What is Isopropyl Palmitate?
Isopropyl Palmitate falls into the ester / emollient category — a synthetic emollient ester. A palmitic-acid ester prized as a cheap emollient and texture enhancer. Rates 4/5 for comedogenicity, so it is a common flag in cleansers and lotions marketed to oily skin.
You may see it on labels as Isopropyl Palmitate, Ipp, so it can hide under more than one name in an ingredient list.
Where Isopropyl Palmitate shows up
As a synthetic emollient ester, Isopropyl Palmitate typically appears in lotions, sunscreens, primers, and colour cosmetics, where it adds a smooth, non-greasy slip. Separately from clogging, its irritancy is rated 0/5 — low, so it's unlikely to sting or sensitise on its own.
Is Isopropyl Palmitate bad for acne-prone skin?
For breakout-prone skin, a rating this high is a genuine flag. What matters most is where Isopropyl Palmitate sits on the label: near the top it's a real consideration, near the bottom it's usually a trace amount.
Note for fungal-acne (malassezia) sufferers: Isopropyl Palmitate is commonly avoided in fungal-acne routines, since it falls into the fatty-acid or ester families the yeast can feed on. The evidence there is looser than for comedogenicity — see our fungal-acne checker for context.
Non-comedogenic alternatives
If you're avoiding Isopropyl Palmitate, these lower-risk ingredients serve a similar role and are gentler on pore-prone skin:
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride — rated 1/5 (Low risk).
- Squalane — rated 1/5 (Low risk).