Palmitoyl Grape Seed Extract
No meaningful concern for most people; irritation is possible but rare.
Also written as: Palmitoyl Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract
What it is
Grape seed extract is rich in proanthocyanidins, polyphenol antioxidants that are naturally water-soluble. Attaching a palmitoyl (fatty acid) group makes them oil-soluble and better able to sit in the lipid parts of a formula and of the skin barrier. It is used as an antioxidant and skin conditioner, most often in emulsions and oil-rich masks.
What it does well
Delivers grape polyphenol antioxidants into the oil phase
Grape seed proanthocyanidins are well-characterised antioxidants in laboratory testing, and the palmitoyl modification is a recognised way to improve lipid compatibility. Clinical evidence for this specific modified ingredient is not published.
Limited evidence
Worth knowing
Little published data on the modified ingredient
Most research concerns unmodified grape seed extract. There is no specific safety signal, but claims about this exact ingredient rest on inference rather than direct evidence.
Matters most toAnyone selecting a product mainly for this ingredient.
Where the EU stands
No specific restriction
Not listed in any restriction or prohibition annex of the EU Cosmetics Regulation; permitted at the formulator's discretion under the general safety requirement.
