Is ethylhexyl palmitate made from coconut?
Ethylhexyl palmitate, also called octyl palmitate, is a light oil made by joining palmitic acid to ethylhexyl alcohol. The alcohol part is made from petroleum; the 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 makes creams, foundations, sunscreens and lipsticks feel silky and spread easily, and it is often used in place of silicones.
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: ethylhexyl palmitate · octyl palmitate · palmitato de etilhexilo · palmitato de octilo
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.
Contains coconut (2)
No coconut listed (1)
The whole family: Palmitate / palmitic acid
Related names: Isopropyl palmitate · Ascorbyl palmitate · Retinyl 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 →
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.