INCI names / Palm kernel oil
Palm kernel oil INCI name
The INCI name for palm kernel oil is Elaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil in a lotion or balm, and Sodium Palm Kernelate in cold-process soap, where the oil reacts with lye and the oil itself is no longer in the finished bar.
| In lotions, balms and other cosmetics | Elaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil |
|---|---|
| In cold-process soap (sodium hydroxide) | Sodium Palm Kernelate |
| In liquid soap (potassium hydroxide) | Potassium Palm Kernelate |
| Superfat share in soap (unreacted) | Elaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil |
| On a US label | Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Kernel Oil; in soap, Sodium Palm Kernelate |
| In Great Britain and Northern Ireland | The same names as the EU. Northern Ireland uses the EU glossary cited below; Great Britain still uses the glossary it kept from the EU, where the same names have other entry numbers. |
| Also entered as | palm kernel, pko |
Glossary citation: Sodium Palm Kernelate #26882; Elaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil #9761; Potassium Palm Kernelate #22727 (Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1175 on EUR-Lex).
One detail catches many labels: the EU glossary name has no common name in brackets. In the EU and the UK it is "Elaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil"; the bracketed form, "Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Kernel Oil", is the US name.
In the soap or skincare tool, put it on its own line with its weight, for example "palm kernel oil, 30", and the tool prints the right name for the product type and the region you choose.
Transcribed from the EU glossary of common ingredient names (Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1175) and checked against it; the US names are the ones FDA's substance registry (GSRS) records. A labelling reference, not safety advice.