Sodium Palmitate Middel Cleansing Agent No known benefits Sodium Palmitate at a glance Sodium salt of palmitic acid Surfactant + emulsifying and viscosity increasing agent Ruled safe as used in skin care Can be drying to skin when formulated in a cleanser Typical usage in leave-on products is 0.06-4.1% Sodium Palmitate description Sodium palmitate is a saturated fat found in fatty substances including olive oil, palm oil, and body lipids. From a chemistry standpoint, it is the sodium salt of the fatty acid palmitic acid. This ingredient may be animal- or plant-derived or made synthetically. In cosmetics, sodium palmitate functions as a cleansing ingredient (surfactant) and as an emulsifying and viscosity increasing agent. While it has been ruled safe as used in skin care products, because it is commonly formulated at an alkaline pH when used as a cleansing agent (usually in soap products), it can be drying to skin. In its raw form sodium palmitate is a white to yellow powder. Its typical usage levels in leave-on cosmetics formulas range from 0.06-4.1%. Related ingredients: Sodium Palmate Palmitic Acid