What is Palmitic Acid?
Palmitic Acid is a fatty acid. A C16 fatty acid found in many oils and used to adjust texture. Low-moderate comedogenicity at 2/5 but a fungal-acne trigger.
You may see it on labels as Palmitic Acid, Hexadecanoic Acid, so it can hide under more than one name in an ingredient list.
Where Palmitic Acid shows up
You'll most often find Palmitic Acid in cleansers, cream bases, and bar soaps, where it builds texture and lather. Separately from clogging, its irritancy is rated 0/5 — low, so it's unlikely to sting or sensitise on its own.
Is Palmitic Acid bad for acne-prone skin?
Because it barely registers on the comedogenic scale, Palmitic Acid is generally a safe pick for breakout-prone skin and is often recommended as a gentler alternative to heavier ingredients.
Note for fungal-acne (malassezia) sufferers: Palmitic Acid 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.