ANTIOXIDANT
Ascorbyl Palmitate
- antioxidant
An oil-soluble form of vitamin C used to keep oils from going rancid.
- products in our library
- 82
- of researched products
- 1%
- on the label, in our conditioners
- usually #26
- most common in
- Conditioner
- in water
- Oil-soluble
At a glance
Four things worth knowing about how this ingredient behaves on hair.
How much of it is left on hair between washes.
What it takes to get it off the hair again.
What it is in the formula to protect.
Where it sits on the labels we have, in the category it appears in most.
| Property | Level | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| Buildup risk | Needs a cleanser | 4 of 5 |
| Rinse-out behaviour | Rinses with a cleanser | 2 of 5 |
| Role | Protects oils | 2 of 5 |
| Prominence | Secondary | 2 of 5 |
What it does for a formula
What Ascorbyl Palmitate does
The general function first, then how the role changes by product type where we have researched it.
Protects the oils in the bottle rather than the hair.
It takes a surfactant to remove, which matters on a low-detergent routine.
Charge
Charge is not recorded for this ingredient.
Solubility
Needs a surfactant to remove. On a low-detergent routine it can build up over time.
Where it appears
Where it appears
One row per product category in our library: how many products list it, what share of that category that is, and where it typically sits on the label.
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Conditioner
23 products
|
secondary · #26 | |
Shampoo
17 products
|
secondary · #30 | |
Leave-in
10 products
|
secondary · #29 | |
Mask / treatment
10 products
|
secondary · #26 | |
Finisher: serum
5 products
|
secondary · #13 | |
Finisher: oil
4 products
|
secondary · #21 | |
Styler: paste
4 products
|
secondary · #37 | |
Scalp treatment
2 products
|
secondary · #11 | |
Styler: curl cream
2 products
|
secondary · #48 | |
Styler: hairspray
2 products
|
secondary · #13 |
3 more product types
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Dry shampoo
1 product
|
secondary · #11 | |
Finisher: anti frizz finish
1 product
|
secondary · #50 | |
Finisher: shine spray
1 product
|
secondary · #25 |
| Product type | Products | Share of category | Median position | Earliest position | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conditioner | 23 | 2% | 26 | 9 | secondary |
| Shampoo | 17 | 1% | 30 | 8 | secondary |
| Leave-in | 10 | 1% | 29 | 4 | secondary |
| Mask / treatment | 10 | 2% | 26 | 9 | secondary |
| Finisher: serum | 5 | 4% | 13 | 10 | secondary |
| Finisher: oil | 4 | 1% | 21 | 13 | secondary |
| Styler: paste | 4 | 2% | 37 | 33 | secondary |
| Scalp treatment | 2 | 1% | 11 | 5 | secondary |
| Styler: curl cream | 2 | 1% | 48 | 42 | secondary |
| Styler: hairspray | 2 | 1% | 13 | 6 | secondary |
| Dry shampoo | 1 | 1% | 11 | 11 | secondary |
| Finisher: anti frizz finish | 1 | 3% | 50 | 50 | secondary |
| Finisher: shine spray | 1 | 1% | 25 | 25 | secondary |
We have not researched differences by product type yet. The reading below comes from where it sits on the labels in our library.
Position footprint
Every listing in our library, by position on the label.
| Positions | Zone | Listings |
|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | Leading | 0 |
| 4-8 | Supporting | 4 |
| 9-15 | Secondary | 15 |
| 16-25 | Lower | 19 |
| 26+ | Trace | 44 |
How to read this
US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order.
So position tells you about relative amount only above that line, and we never convert a position into a percentage.
Why it matters to shoppers
What seeing this ingredient tells you, what it does not, and the limits of our own method.
- oils that do not turn rancid in the bottle
- something that lasts through the day
- an exact safety score (we do not publish one for any ingredient)
- how a finished product performs, which depends on the whole formula, not one line of it
- the exact percentage in a bottle, because label position never converts into a number
- a secondary antioxidant, listed below the main ingredients in our conditioners
- it was on the printed ingredient list of every product we counted (we read labels, not marketing copy)
- that a product is right or wrong for you
We do not publish safety scores or hazard grades. Where a regulator has published a restriction or a use condition, we state it and cite it; otherwise we describe what the ingredient does and stop.
Commonly paired with
The ingredients that most often appear alongside this one in our library. We leave out the near-universal ones, because they pair with everything and tell you nothing.
- Tocopherol · 69
- Cetyl Alcohol · 30
- Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride · 29
- Tocopheryl Acetate · 28
- Sodium Hydroxide · 27
- Lecithin · 25
- Ethylhexylglycerin · 25
- Benzyl Alcohol · 24
- Butylene Glycol · 23
- Citronellol · 23
The number beside a name is how many products in our library list both.
These ingredients tend to appear together to deliver a stated effect, soften the strand, and improve feel after rinsing.
Found in these products
The most prominent placements first. The badge is the position on that product’s own ingredient list.
Carol's Daughter · Leave-in
Hair Milk Refresher Spray
#4 on the label · $1.20/oz
KilgourMD · Scalp treatment
The Prevention Scalp Serum
#5 on the label
Pureology · Styler
Style + Protect Soft Finish Hairspray - 11.0 oz
#6 on the label · $3.27/oz
Kevin Murphy · Shampoo
EVERLASTING.COLOUR WASH
#8 on the label · $5.33/oz
Kevin Murphy · Conditioner
HYDRATE-ME.RINSE
#9 on the label · $4.50/oz
Kevin Murphy · Conditioner
YOUNG.AGAIN.RINSE
#9 on the label · $5.80/oz
Ouidad · Mask / treatment
Advanced Climate Control Frizz-Fighting Hydrating Mask
#9 on the label · $4.00/oz
Kevin Murphy · Shampoo
BLONDE.ANGEL.WASH
#10 on the label · $4.38/oz
Moroccanoil · Finisher
Intense Smoothing Frizz Control Hair Serum
#10 on the label · $18.82/oz
Carol's Daughter · Leave-in
Hair Milk Leave-In Moisturizer
#11 on the label · $1.50/oz
John Frieda · Conditioner
Sheer Blonde Brightening Conditioner
#11 on the label · $1.61/oz
Kreyòl Essence · Finisher
Soft Hair Dont Care Slip+Shine Multi-Vitamin Hair Serum
#11 on the label · $12.50/oz
See all 82 products in the library that list Ascorbyl Palmitate
Identity
What this entry is, and what our references call it.
Ascorbyl Palmitate
- CAS 137-66-6
- PubChem 54680660
- ascorbyl palmitate
For your hair?
Whether Ascorbyl Palmitate matters for your hair depends on your hair.
82 products in our library list itWhat this ingredient does, and where it sits on the labels we have researched.
A verdict on any product that contains it, and never a safety grade.
We do not physically test your hair. Everything above comes from the ingredient lists in our library and from published references. The consultation is what turns it into a plan.
References
Sourced Backed by a manufacturer or regulatory source.
This ingredient
- Manufacturer or regulatory PubChem : Compound identity: CID 54680660, CAS 137-66-6, C22H38O7 · accessed 2026-08-28
How this page was made
- Every number above is counted from the ingredient lists in our own product library: 82 of 6816 researched products list this ingredient. Nothing on this page is written per ingredient.
- The dots are levels, not scores. Each one comes from what kind of ingredient it is (its chemical class, charge and solubility) or from where it sits on the labels we have.
- US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order. Position tells you about relative amount only above that line, and we never convert a position into a percentage.
- The prominence bands (leading, supporting, secondary) are the same ones the product pages use to read a single label, applied here to the median position across a category.
- We do not publish safety scores or hazard grades. Where a regulator has published a restriction or a use condition, we state it and cite it; otherwise we describe what the ingredient does and stop.
- Identifiers and references appear only when a published source is attached to this entry. Without one, we leave the row out rather than fill it in.
- This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
- Entry last updated 2026-09-22. Product-page methodology: the product library.
