Capryloyl Salicylic Acid

What is capryloyl salicylic acid?

Capryloyl salicylic acid, also known as lipohydroxy acid, is a derivative of salicylic acid that was first developed by L'Oreal in the 1980s (R).

Does capryloyl salicylic acid get absorbed?

Capryloyl salicylic acid has an additional fatty chain compared to salicylic acid, which gives it a higher molecular weight and greater lipophilicity. As a result, it is able to penetrate the stratum corneum, but is slow to penetrate past it into the deeper layers of the skin. An in vitro experiment showed that only about 6% of capryloyl salicylic acid penetrated deeper than the stratum corneum after 16 hours, a fraction of the 58% for salicylic acid (R).

What happens after capryloyl salicylic acid is absorbed?

In an in vivo study, 17% of capryloyl salicylic acid was found to be retained in the stratum corneum after 4 days of applications, a higher rate of storage than the 10% for salicylic acid, indicating a greater reservoir effect (R, R).