An ester of palmitic acid and carnitine, listed as a skin-conditioning ingredient.
What it is
Palmitoyl carnitine is an ester in which palmitic acid, a saturated C16 fatty acid, is bonded to the hydroxyl group of carnitine. Like carnitine itself, it is an inner salt carrying both a positive and a negative charge in the same molecule. Palmitoylcarnitine also occurs naturally as an intermediate of fatty acid metabolism. CosIng lists it as a skin-conditioning ingredient.
Where it is used
Appears on the ingredient lists of a small number of products.
Limits of interpretation
The INCI list shows which ingredients are present, not how much of each. Above 1%, ingredients are listed in descending order of weight; below 1% the order is free.
The INCI name does not reveal how it was produced or which stereochemical form of carnitine it contains.
Functions
- Skin conditioning
- Maintaining the skin in good condition.
EU regulation
This ingredient is not listed in the annexes of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 in the CosIng data.