Is ascorbyl palmitate made from coconut?

Ascorbyl palmitate is vitamin C joined to palmitic acid, a fatty acid, which makes the vitamin dissolve in fat. Palmitic acid is usually made from palm oil. Coconut oil contains a little of it, and the label does not say which plant was used.

It is used as an antioxidant to keep oils from going rancid, in foods (where it may be listed as E304), supplements, creams and lip products.

Usually palm, soy or rapeseed, and refined well past the point where coconut protein survives. It is named on the product page, but it doesn’t decide the verdict by itself — nearly every cosmetic contains it, and if it did, the whole registry would turn amber and the warning would stop meaning anything.

On a label: ascorbyl palmitate · palmitato de ascorbilo

Products we checked that contain it

3 of the 117 products in the registry. Each one read off the packet by a person, with the date.

The whole family: Palmitate / palmitic acid
Related names: Isopropyl palmitate · Retinyl palmitate · Ethylhexyl palmitate · Cetyl palmitate

Whether this matters for you depends on which kind of coconut allergy you have →

Check a label for this and everything else →

All of coconut’s names

Reactions to refined derivatives vary from person to person. This list helps you ask better questions; your allergist decides what you avoid. Educational only, not medical advice. Always confirm with your allergist.