VITAMIN
Retinyl Palmitate
- vitamin
A vitamin A ester included at low levels for label appeal.
- products in our library
- 44
- of researched products
- 1%
- on the label, in our conditioners
- usually #20
- most common in
- Conditioner
- in water
- Oil-soluble
At a glance
Four named levels, read from this ingredient’s chemical class, its charge, its solubility, or where it sits on the labels we have. More dots means more of the property named — never “better”.
How much of it is left on hair between washes.
What it takes to get it off the hair again.
Where it sits on the labels we have, in the category it appears in most.
Why a formulator says it is in there.
| Property | Level | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| Buildup risk | Needs a cleanser | 4 of 5 |
| Rinse-out behaviour | Rinses with a cleanser | 2 of 5 |
| Prominence | Secondary | 2 of 5 |
| Stated purpose | A vitamin | 3 of 5 |
What it does for a formula
What Retinyl Palmitate does
The general function first, then how the role changes by product type where we have researched it.
Usually present in small amounts, below where label order indicates quantity.
Protects the oils in the bottle rather than the hair.
It takes a surfactant to remove — worth knowing 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
8 products
|
secondary · #20 | |
Mask / treatment
6 products
|
secondary · #24 | |
Shampoo
6 products
|
secondary · #16 | |
Leave-in
4 products
|
secondary · #17 | |
Finisher: oil
3 products
|
secondary · #14 | |
Finisher: serum
3 products
|
secondary · #16 | |
Finisher: shine spray
3 products
|
secondary · #10 | |
Styler: curl cream
3 products
|
secondary · #17 | |
Co-wash
2 products
|
secondary · #32 | |
Styler: edge control
2 products
|
supporting · #9 |
3 more product types
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Styler: gel
2 products
|
secondary · #11 | |
Heat protectant
1 product
|
secondary · #24 | |
Scalp treatment
1 product
|
supporting · #8 |
| Product type | Products | Share of category | Median position | Earliest position | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conditioner | 8 | 1% | 20 | 10 | secondary |
| Mask / treatment | 6 | 2% | 24 | 15 | secondary |
| Shampoo | 6 | 1% | 16 | 8 | secondary |
| Leave-in | 4 | 1% | 17 | 11 | secondary |
| Finisher: oil | 3 | 2% | 14 | 6 | secondary |
| Finisher: serum | 3 | 4% | 16 | 14 | secondary |
| Finisher: shine spray | 3 | 5% | 10 | 6 | secondary |
| Styler: curl cream | 3 | 3% | 17 | 14 | secondary |
| Co-wash | 2 | 2% | 32 | 31 | secondary |
| Styler: edge control | 2 | 13% | 9 | 8 | supporting |
| Styler: gel | 2 | 1% | 11 | 6 | secondary |
| Heat protectant | 1 | 1% | 24 | 24 | secondary |
| Scalp treatment | 1 | 1% | 8 | 8 | supporting |
No product-type differences have been researched yet — the reading below is computed 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 | 6 |
| 9-15 | Secondary | 18 |
| 16-25 | Lower | 14 |
| 26+ | Trace | 12 |
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 this ingredient is evidence of, what it is not evidence of, and what our own method can and cannot tell you.
- a named vitamin on the label
- 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 by itself — that is the whole formula, not one line of it
- the exact percentage in a bottle — label position never converts into a number
- a secondary vitamin, listed below the main ingredients in our conditioners
- it was on the label of every product we counted — we read printed ingredient lists, 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
Ingredients that appear alongside this one most often in our library. Near-universal ingredients are excluded — they pair with everything and tell you nothing.
- Tocopheryl Acetate · 21
- Caprylyl Glycol · 19
- Behentrimonium Chloride · 17
- Disodium EDTA · 16
- Cetrimonium Chloride · 16
- Tocopherol · 14
- Cetyl Alcohol · 13
- Dimethicone · 12
- Hexyl Cinnamal · 12
- Ascorbic Acid · 11
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, hold on to water, 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.
Doo Gro · Finisher
Hair Polish Shine Mist
#6 on the label · $1.35/oz
dpHUE · Finisher
Color Fresh Oil Therapy
#6 on the label
Ouidad · Styler
Advanced Climate Control Heat and Humidity Gel - 8.5 oz
#6 on the label · $3.06/oz
Design Essentials · Scalp treatment
Scalp Care Vitamin Drops
#8 on the label · $2.76/oz
Kevin Murphy · Shampoo
HYDRATE-ME.WASH
#8 on the label · $4.62/oz
TGIN · Styler
Miracle RepaiRx Smooth & Protect Edge Control
#8 on the label · $2.75/oz
African Pride · Styler
Dream Kids Olive Miracle Smooth Edges Anti-Frizzy Conditioning Gel
#9 on the label · $1.17/oz
Alterna · Finisher
Caviar Anti-Aging Rapid Repair Spray
#10 on the label · $8.12/oz
Kevin Murphy · Conditioner
YOUNG.AGAIN.RINSE
#10 on the label · $5.80/oz
Bumble and bumble · Leave-in
Prep Detangling Hair Primer
#11 on the label · $4.25/oz
Bumble and bumble · Leave-in
Prep Primer for Ultra Fine Hair
#11 on the label · $4.00/oz
TGIN · Shampoo
Rose Water Sulfate Free Hydrating Shampoo
#12 on the label · $1.31/oz
See all 44 products in the library that list Retinyl Palmitate
Identity
What this entry is, and what our references call it.
Retinyl Palmitate
- CAS 79-81-2
- PubChem 5280531
- antioxidant
- retinyl palmitate
- retinyl palmitate (vitamin a palmitate)
- retinyl palmitate (vitamin a)
For your hair?
Whether Retinyl Palmitate matters for your hair depends on your hair.
44 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 is read 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 5280531, CAS 79-81-2, C36H60O2 · accessed 2026-08-28
How this page was made
- Every number above is counted from the ingredient lists in our own product library — 44 of 3889 researched products list this ingredient. Nothing on this page is written per ingredient.
- The dots are named levels read from an ingredient’s chemical class, charge, solubility, or where it sits on the labels we have — never a score.
- 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; where none is, the row is simply absent rather than filled in.
- This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
- Entry last updated 2026-08-28. Product-page methodology: the product library.