Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A palmitate) is a chemical compound,  the ester of Retinol and palmitic acid.

The name describes the structure of the molecule:

• Retinyl. This is the portion of the molecule derived from retinol, which is a form of vitamin A. Retinol is essential for vision, growth, reproduction, and cell differentiation. It's also known for its anti-aging properties when used in skincare products.
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• Palmitate. This is the part of the molecule derived from palmitic acid, a saturated fatty acid commonly found in fats and oils. In this context, palmitic acid reacts with retinol alcohol to form an ester, which is retinyl palmitate.

Description of raw materials used in production.

• Retinol. Derived from vitamin A, retinol can be found in foods like liver, fatty fish, and certain dairy products. It can also be synthesized from beta-carotenes found in vegetables such as carrots.
• Palmitic acid. It is one of the most abundant saturated fatty acids in plants and animals. It's found in oils like palm oil and coconut oil, as well as the fat of many animals, including humans.

Step-by-step summary of its industrial chemical synthesis process.

• Retinol is reacted with palmitic acid in the presence of an acid catalyst.
• The esterification reaction occurs by heating the raw materials.
• Once the reaction is complete, the product is purified to remove any impurities.
• The purified retinyl palmitate is then packaged for sale and use.

Retinyl palmitate presents as a pale yellow oily liquid or a yellow crystalline powder.

What it is for and where

Food

In terms of nutrition, Retinyl Palmitate is an important source of vitamin A, which is essential for vision, bone growth, and immune function and has antioxidant properties and has been administered in recent years as a method of food fortification and as a dietary supplement (1,) however, it should be highlighted that an excess of vitamin A can be toxic, so it is important to consume it in appropriate amounts. So it is appropriate to check that by taking food products there is no accumulation of this substance.

Cosmetics

Retinyl Palmitate has demonstrated an anti-aging effect and could be considered a cosmeceutical compound (2).

Skin conditioning agent. It is the mainstay of topical skin treatment as it has the function of restoring, increasing or improving skin tolerance to external factors, including melanocyte tolerance. The most important function of the conditioning agent is to prevent skin dehydration, but the subject is rather complex and involves emollients and humectants that can be added in the formulation.

Skin conditioning agent - Miscellaneous.  This ingredient has the task of modifying and improving the condition of the skin when it is damaged or dry, reducing flaking and restoring its elasticity.

Safety

Exposure to Vitamin A palmitate is safe in cosmetic products if the maximum concentrations reported in this study are met (3).

• Molecular Formula  C₃₆H₆₀O₂
• Molecular Weight  524.9 g/mol
• CAS  79-81-2
• UNII    1D1K0N0VVC
• EC Number   201-228-5
• DTXSID1021241
• Nikkaji   J3.849K

Synonyms:

Retinol palmitate

References_____________________________________________________________________

(1) Souganidis E, Laillou A, Leyvraz M, Moench-Pfanner R. A comparison of retinyl palmitate and red palm oil β-carotene as strategies to address Vitamin A deficiency. Nutrients. 2013 Aug 15;5(8):3257-71. doi: 10.3390/nu5083257.

Abstract. Vitamin A deficiency continues to be an international public health problem with several important health consequences including blindness and overall increased rates of morbidity and mortality. To address this widespread issue, a series of strategies have been put into place from dietary diversification to supplementation and fortification programs. Retinyl palmitate has been used successfully for decades as a supplement as well as a way to fortify numerous foods, including vegetable oil, rice, monosodium glutamate, cereal flours and sugar. Recently, there has been rising interest in using a natural source of carotenoids, β-carotene from red palm oil (RPO), for fortification. Although RPO interventions have also been shown to effectively prevent Vitamin A deficiency, there are numerous challenges in using beta-carotene from RPO as a fortification technique. β-Carotene can induce significant changes in appearance and taste of the fortified product. Moreover, costs of fortifying with beta-carotene are higher than with retinyl palmitate. Therefore, RPO should only be used as a source of Vitamin A if it is produced and used in its crude form and regularly consumed without frying. Furthermore, refined RPO should be fortified with retinyl palmitate, not β-carotene, to ensure that there is adequate Vitamin A content.

(2) Choi BH, Hwang HJ, Lee JE, Oh SH, Hwang JS, Lee BY, Lee PC. Microbial Production of Retinyl Palmitate and Its Application as a Cosmeceutical. Antioxidants (Basel). 2020 Nov 14;9(11):1130. doi: 10.3390/antiox9111130. PMID: 33202630; PMCID: PMC7698207.

Abstract. Chemically synthesized retinyl palmitate has been widely used in the cosmetic and biotechnology industry. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate the microbial production of retinyl palmitate and the benefits of microbial retinyl palmitate in skin physiology. A heterologous retinyl palmitate biosynthesis pathway was reconstructed in metabolically engineered Escherichia coli using synthetic expression modules from Pantoea agglomerans, Salinibacter ruber, and Homo sapiens. High production of retinyl palmitate (69.96 ± 2.64 mg/L) was obtained using a fed-batch fermentation process. Moreover, application of purified microbial retinyl palmitate to human foreskin HS68 fibroblasts led to increased cellular retinoic acid-binding protein 2 (CRABP2) mRNA level [1.7-fold (p = 0.001) at 100 μg/mL], acceleration of cell proliferation, and enhancement of procollagen synthesis [111% (p < 0.05) at 100 μg/mL], strongly indicating an anti-ageing-related effect of this substance. These results would pave the way for large-scale production of retinyl palmitate in microbial systems and represent the first evidence for the application of microbial retinyl palmitate as a cosmeceutical.

(3) Scientific Committee of Consumer Safety - SCCS. Electronic address: SANTE-C2-SCCS@ec.europa.eu; Rousselle C. Opinion of the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) - Final version of the Opinion on Vitamin A (retinol, retinyl acetate and retinyl palmitate) in cosmetic products. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2017 Mar;84:102-104. doi: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2016.11.017. 

Abstract. The SCCS has estimated that exposure to Vitamin A (retinol, retinyl palmitate, and retinyl acetate) and via body lotion at the maximum concentration of 0.05% and via hand cream, face cream and other leave-on or rinse-off products at the maximum concentration of 0.3% per se is safe.