useful or harmful?

is it useful or harmful to apply retinol palmitate directly to skin or scalp?
and if it is harmful what harm does it cause, and why?
and if it is useful, is there some dosage or min/max amount to use?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Both retinol and retinyl palmitate come from vitamin A. Vitamin A does not work directly on the skin to produce desired anti-aging results, but it works through an active derivative. It should not be used directly on the skin as it can cause redness, skin rashes, itching and allergic reaction. Earlier it was thought that it can cause cancer, but oxicological analysis has determined that products containing retinyl palmitate are safe. However direct application of retinol palmitate should not be done.


It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care.