Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate in the Korean Codex: 95.0% Assay and Five Finished Forms
Published November 01, 2026
Ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate, a vitamin C derivative, has a raw-ingredient monograph in Annex 2 of the Korean functional cosmetics codex, the whitening (brightening) section. It requires an assay of 95.0% or more, describes a colourless to pale yellow liquid, and caps related substances at a total of 4%.
The notice is published by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS). The same annex also holds finished-product monographs in five forms, each at 90.0% or more of the labelled amount.
Ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate is documented here from Annex 2 of MFDS Notice No. 2025-89 (the whitening section of the codex of Standards and Test Methods for Functional Cosmetics) and from Article 2 of the Cosmetics Act Enforcement Rule. Both were read in Korean and are quoted as printed, since Copyright Act Article 7 gives such texts no protection. No product, price or ranking is named.
Which functional claim type does ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate belong to?
Annex 2 serves two claim types, items 1 and 2 of Article 2 of the Enforcement Rule, and ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate is filed under both. The Korean text:
피부에 멜라닌색소가 침착하는 것을 방지하여 기미ㆍ주근깨 등의 생성을 억제함으로써 피부의 미백에 도움을 주는 기능을 가진 화장품
Item 1 in English: a cosmetic that helps brighten the skin by stopping melanin pigment from depositing, which holds back spots and freckles (the law calls this "whitening").
피부에 침착된 멜라닌색소의 색을 엷게 하여 피부의 미백에 도움을 주는 기능을 가진 화장품
Item 2 in English: a cosmetic that helps brighten the skin by making melanin that has already deposited less dark.
Both items hedge with "helps", and an MFDS monograph with a 95.0% assay and a 4% related-substances cap says nothing about a brightening result.
What does the ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate monograph set?
Annex 2 of the codex includes a raw-ingredient monograph for ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate. Its values, copied from the Korean text:
| Item in the monograph | What the codex states |
|---|---|
| Other name in the codex | 테트라이소팔미틴산아스코빌 |
| Formula and weight | C70H128O10, 1129.78 |
| Assay | 95.0% or more |
| Description | Colourless to pale yellow liquid |
| Specific gravity | 0.930-0.943 |
| Refractive index | 1.459-1.465 |
| Heavy metals | 20 ppm or less |
| Arsenic | 2 ppm or less |
| Related substances | 4% or less in total |
| Loss on drying | 0.5% or less |
How should you read the terms in the ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate monograph?
The MFDS monograph for ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate pairs each test label with a limit. The middle column below gives a general reading of the label, which is not the codex speaking; the right column is what the monograph prints.
| Term in the monograph | General meaning of the test | Value in this monograph |
|---|---|---|
| Formula and weight | The chemical formula and molecular weight that identify the compound. | C70H128O10, 1129.78 |
| Assay | The test that measures how much of the named substance a sample contains, usually as a percentage. | 95.0% or more |
| Description | The appearance the raw material must have. | Colourless to pale yellow liquid |
| Specific gravity | The density of the liquid relative to water. | 0.930-0.943 |
| Refractive index | How much light bends when it passes through the liquid, an identity and purity check. | 1.459-1.465 |
| Heavy metals | A limit test for metallic impurities, reported as a group in parts per million (ppm). | 20 ppm or less |
| Arsenic | A limit test for arsenic as an impurity, in ppm. | 2 ppm or less |
| Related substances | Impurities chemically related to the main compound, limited as a total. | 4% or less in total |
| Loss on drying | The share of the sample's mass lost when it is dried under stated conditions, mostly water and other volatile matter. | 0.5% or less |
According to the MFDS monograph, the assay (95.0% or more) is a floor, the specific gravity (0.930-0.943) and refractive index (1.459-1.465) are ranges, and heavy metals (20 ppm), arsenic (2 ppm), related substances (4% in total) and loss on drying (0.5%) are ceilings. The five finished forms are tested against a separate 90.0% standard.
How does the ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate assay compare with other codex ingredients?
The other raw-ingredient monographs read from this MFDS codex are sorted by the bottom of their assay range below. Ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate, at 95.0% or more, sits in the lower half:
| Ingredient | Annex | Assay as printed in the monograph |
|---|---|---|
| Salicylic acid | Annex 8 | 99.5% or more |
| Zinc oxide | Annex 4 | 99.5% or more, after ignition |
| Adenosine | Annex 3 | 99.0% or more |
| Biotin | Annex 9 | 98.5-101.0%, on the dried basis |
| Arbutin | Annex 2 | 98.0% or more |
| Ascorbyl glucoside | Annex 2 | 98.0% or more |
| Dexpanthenol | Annex 9 | 98.0-102.0%, on the anhydrous basis |
| L-menthol | Annex 9 | 98.0-101.0% |
| Niacinamide | Annex 2 | 98.0% or more, when dried |
| Ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate (this page) | Annex 2 | 95.0% or more |
| Ethyl ascorbyl ether | Annex 2 | 95.0% or more, when dried |
| PEG-retinamide | Annex 3 | 95.0% or more |
| Titanium dioxide | Annex 4 | 90.0% or more, when dried |
| Zinc pyrithione | Annex 9 | 90.0-101.0%, when dried |
In the MFDS codex, ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate ranks 10 of 14 by the lower assay limit among the monographs read for this site, with 9 entries above it and 2 tied with it. Its 95.0% floor is lower than the 98.0% of ascorbyl glucoside, the water-soluble vitamin C derivative in the same annex.
How does it differ from the other vitamin C derivatives in Annex 2?
The other raw-ingredient monographs read from this MFDS codex are sorted by the bottom of their assay range below. Ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate, at 95.0% or more, sits in the lower half:
| Item | Ascorbyl glucoside | Ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate | Ethyl ascorbyl ether |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formula and weight | C12H18O11, 338.27 | C70H128O10, 1129.78 | C8H12O6, 204.18 |
| Assay | 98.0% or more | 95.0% or more | 95.0% or more, when dried |
| Physical form | White to pale yellow powder | Colourless to pale yellow liquid | White to pale yellow crystals |
| Melting point | 158-163 C | not given (liquid) | 111-116 C |
The physical forms differ: the tetraisopalmitate is described as a liquid, while the other two are solids. The codex prints the properties without explaining them, and this page keeps to the printed values.
Another difference is the related substances line. According to the MFDS codex, the tetraisopalmitate monograph caps related substances at a total of 4%, while the ascorbyl glucoside monograph caps free ascorbic acid and free glucose at 0.1% each. Different impurities matter for different molecules.
Is there a finished-product monograph for ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate?
Yes. Annex 2 includes finished-form monographs for ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate in five forms. According to the MFDS codex, each requires 90.0% or more of the labelled amount.
ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate label checklist
- Check that the product is marked as a functional cosmetic for brightening
- Do not read the 95.0% assay as the amount in a product
- Note that ascorbyl glucoside and this ingredient are separate monographs
- Read the wording: "helps" brighten, not "removes spots"
- Ask for the notice number if a brand cites the codex
How to check a ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate claim yourself
- Check the label for the brightening function marking
- Compare it with Article 2, items 1 and 2
- Open MFDS Notice 2025-89 and read Annex 2
- Find the ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate monograph and forms
Use levels of ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate in any product. They sit in other MFDS rules not read for this page.
Every functional type and its codex ingredients are grouped in our K-beauty functional ingredient index.
Sources and how to check
- 기능성화장품 기준 및 시험방법 (Standards and Test Methods for Functional Cosmetics, KFCC), MFDS Notice No. 2025-89, amended 16 December 2025: Annex 1 (general rules), Annex 2 (whitening monographs). Korean Law Information Center: https://www.law.go.kr/LSW/admRulInfoP.do?admRulSeq=2100000269816&chrClsCd=010201
- 화장품법 시행규칙 제2조 (Enforcement Rule of the Cosmetics Act, Article 2), quoted above: https://www.law.go.kr/법령/화장품법%20시행규칙/제2조
- Checked as of 13 October 2026, against the annex files of the notice. Licence: unprotected works under Copyright Act Article 7.
Questions readers ask about Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate in the Korean Codex
Does ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate have a monograph in the Korean codex?
Yes. Annex 2 of the MFDS functional cosmetics codex (Notice No. 2025-89) has one, under the whitening type.
What assay does it require?
95.0% or more.
What is its physical form?
A colourless to pale yellow liquid, according to the monograph.
Which finished forms are covered?
Five finished forms, each at 90.0% or more of the labelled amount.
Is it the same as ascorbyl glucoside?
No. Ascorbyl glucoside has its own monograph in Annex 2, with a 98.0% assay.