Palm Kernel Acid

The Basics On Palm Kernel Acid

What is Palm Kernel Acid?

A mixture of fatty acids derived from palm oil.

What are other names for Palm Kernel Acid?

ACIDS, PALM KERNEL, ELAEIS GUINEENSIS (PALM) KERNEL ACID, FATTY ACIDS, PALM KERNEL-OIL, PALM KERNEL ACID, PALM KERNEL ACIDS, PALM KERNEL FATTY ACIDS, and PALM KERNEL OIL FATTY ACID

What is Palm Kernel Acid used for?

A mixture of fatty acids derived from palm oil. Used as a cleansing agent, emulsifier, or to add opacity to cosmetic products such as soaps and water-soluble cleansers. Whereas derivatives of this ingredient are typically synthetic, palm kernel acid is natural.

How Palm Kernel Acid is classified

Emollients, Cleansing Agents

Recommendations for using Palm Kernel Acid during pregnancy and breastfeeding

Limited data suggests no known risk

 

Palm Kernel Acid During Pregnancy

What we know about using Palm Kernel Acid while pregnant or breastfeeding

Limited information available.

Cocamide DEA Groups of gravid female Sprague-Dawley rats (number per group not specified) were gavage with 5 ml/kg bw of 0, 100, 300, or 1000 mg/kg/day cocamide DEA, 90-95% pure, on days 6-15 of gestation.25 Controls were dosed with arachis oil. The dams were killed on day 20 of gestation. No deaths occurred in any of the groups. Salivation and propulsion of the head was observed in all test groups; salivation was “severe” in the 1000 mg/kg group. Body weights and weight gains were comparable for all groups, as were fetal body weights. Post-implantation loss and total embryonic deaths were statistically significantly increased in all treated groups compared to the controls; these findings were considered incidental by the researcher because one single female accounted for these findings in each group. Retardation of ossification was statistically significantly increased in the 300 and 1000 mg/kg groups; again, the researcher found this effect to be incidental because the values were within the normal range of variation for this strain. The incidence of ossification of the skull bones was statistically significantly increased in the 1000 mg/kg group; two dams accounted for 10 of the 17 findings in this group. The NOAELs for maternal toxicity and developmental toxicity were both reported as 1000 mg/kg/day. No other reproductive and developmental toxicity of the diethanolamides were found. Since diethanolamine may be present as an impurity in the diethanolamides, and since amidases in the skin might convert some of the diethanolamide to diethanolamine and the corresponding fatty acid, summary data from the reports on diethanolamine and the other “components” of these dialkanolamides is being provided. Diethanolamine: Hair dyes containing up to 2% diethanolamine were applied topically to the shaved skin of groups of 20 gravid rats on days, 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, and 19 of gestation, and the rats were killed on day 20 of gestation. No developmental or reproductive effects were observed.27 In a study in which gravid mice were dosed dermally with 20-320 mg/kg diethanolamine from day 6 of gestation through PND 21, no effects on skeletal formation were observed, but dose-dependent effects on some growth and developmental parameters were observed. In a study in which parental mice were treated dermally with 20-320 mg/kg diethanolamine for 4 wks prior to mating, sperm motility was decreased in a dose-dependent manner. In rats and rabbits, dermal dosing with up to 1500 mg/kg/day and 350 mg/kg/day diethanolamine, respectively, during gestation, did not have any fetotoxic or teratogenic effects. The NOEL for embryonal/fetal toxicity was 380 mg/kg/day for rats and 350 mg/kg/day for rabbits.28 In an oral developmental study in which rats were dosed with up to 1200 mg/kg/day diethanolamine on days 6-15 of gestation, maternal mortality was observed at doses of ≥50 mg/kg; the NOEL for embryonal/fetal toxicity was 200 mg/kg/day. In a study in which gravid rats were dosed orally with up to 300 mg/kg/day diethanolamine, the dams of the 300 mg/kg group were killed due to excessive toxicity; the LD50 was calculated to be 218 mg/kg. The LOAEL for both maternal toxicity and teratogenicity was 125 mg/kg/day.28 In a developmental study in which rats were exposed by inhalation to diethanolamine on days 6-15 of gestation, the NOAEC for both maternal and developmental toxicity was 0.05 mg/l, and the NOAEC for teratogenicity was >0.2 mg/l.28 Lecithin: In oral studies, ≤1600 mg/kg lecithin was not a reproductive toxicant in mice or rats and ≤47 mg/kg was not a reproductive toxicant in rabbits. In an i.v. reproductive study, the lowest toxic daily i.v. dose for rats was >1000 mg/kg. Lecithin, ≤3.0 mM, had no significant effect on human sperm motility.29 9 Palm Oil: Crude palm oil was not a reproductive toxicant in a study in which male and female Wistar/NIN inbred weanling rats were fed a diet containing this ingredient (10%) prior to mating. Mean litter sizes were comparable between test and control groups. No significant changes were found in liver or kidney weight in adult animals. Neither untreated palm oil (15%) nor 15% heated palm oil in the diet induced anomalies with respect to fertility and in utero growth when fed to male and female Sprague-Dawley SPF rats prior to mating. In a study investigating the effects of palm oil on sexual maturation and endocrine function, vaginal opening was observed significantly earlier (compared to 5% corn oil control) in weanling rats fed 20% palm oil in the diet. No significant differences were observed in endocrine function.30 Palm Kernel Oil: In the second generation resulting from the mating of adult Mongolian gerbils fed a diet containing 8.75% w/w palm kernel oil, no statistically significant differences were found with respect to the following: frequency of litters, mean litter size, total of newborns, and suckling death. Animals receiving a basal diet served as the control.30 Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil: Groups of mice and rats fed diets containing 0.62%, 1.25%, 2.5%, 5.0%, and 10% castor oil continuously for 13 wks had a slight decrease in epididymal weight (6% to 7%) in mid and high-dose groups of male rats; however, this finding was not dose-related. No effects on any other male reproductive endpoint (testes weight and epididymal sperm motility, density, or testicular spermatid head count) or female reproductive endpoint (estrous cycle length, or time spent in each phase of the cycle) were noted. Castor oil served as the vehicle control in a study evaluating the effect of long-term treatment with ICI 182,780 (an anti-estrogen) on the rat testis. In the control group, four male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected subcutaneously with castor oil (0.2 ml) once per week and then killed 100 days after the first injection. Spermatogenesis appeared normal in each of the four control rats.31 Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil: Although not teratogenic, oral dosing with sesame oil (4 ml doses) increased the incidence of resorptions in rats when compared to controls. In a 42-week two-generation reproduction study involving rats, sesame oil (vehicle control, dose volume not stated) did not induce any adverse effects on reproductive performance, fertility, or reproductive organ weights of male or female rats through 2 consecutive generations. Oral dosing with sesame oil (vehicle control, single intragastric dose [not stated]) on day 9 of gestation also had no adverse effect on the fetal survival rate or crown-rump length in mice. Dosing with sesame oil subcutaneously (s.c.) did not adversely affect the development of mice receiving doses (0.05 ml injections) beginning at 3 to 5 days of age or induce teratogenic effects in their offspring. In a study involving rats, dosing with sesame oil s.c. (0.05 ml injections) did not have an adverse effect on the following when compared to untreated controls: uterine and ovarian weight (female rats) and weight of the testes, prostate, and seminal vesicles (male rats). Dosing with sesame oil intraperitoneally (0.4 ml) was associated with a marked increase in the incidence of deciduomas in mice.32 Tall Oil Acid: No treatment-related effects were observed in rats fed diets containing 5% and 10% tall oil acid in a twogeneration study.33

General safety info about Palm Kernel Acid from CIR

The CIR Expert Panel re-reviewed the safety of cocamide DEA, and also assessed the safety of 32 additional diethanolamides as used in cosmetics. Cocamide DEA is reported to function in cosmetics as a surfactant-foam booster or a viscosity increasing agent; most of the diethanolamides included in the safety assessment have these same functions. The Panel reviewed available animal and clinical data, as well as information from previous CIR reports; while these ingredients are not salts and do not readily dissociate in water, amidases present in human skin could potentially convert these diethanolamides to diethanolamine and the corresponding fatty acids. The Panel concluded that these diethanolamides are safe as used when formulated to be non-irritating and when the levels of free diethanolamine in the diethanolamides do not exceed those considered safe by the Panel. These ingredients should not be used in cosmetic products in which N-nitroso compounds can be formed.

Use this, not that!

Products where you might find Palm Kernel Acid

Lancer Skincare Caviar Lime Acid Peel with Glycolic Acid 10% + Phytic Acid 10% + Retinol (1.7 oz.); Sunday Riley GOOD GENES All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment (1.7 oz.); Sunday Riley GOOD GENES All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment (1 fl. oz.); COOLA Makeup Setting Spray Organic Sunscreen SPF 30; SEPHORA COLLECTION Clear Skin Days by Sephora Collection Mattifying Booster Powder; Dermalogica MultiVitamin Power Recovery Mask